What is positive punishment in behavior analysis?

Positive punishment in behavior analysis involves the delivery of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, which leads to a decrease in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. This concept hinges on the principles of operant conditioning, where the introduction of an unpleasant consequence in response to an undesired behavior acts to discourage that behavior.

For example, if a student consistently disrupts a classroom, a teacher might give them additional assignments as a consequence of that behavior. The added burden of assignments is considered an aversive stimulus that aims to decrease the frequency of the disruptive behavior. In this way, the core of positive punishment focuses on the application of something unpleasant to decrease a behavior, which aligns with the definition provided in the answer choice.