Which of the following is an example of positive punishment in operant conditioning?

• A. A child touches a hot stove and feels pain.
• B. A dog receives a treat for sitting on command.
• C. A teenager gets their phone taken away for breaking curfew.
• D. A student loses recess privileges for misbehaving.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of positive punishment in operant conditioning: it involves presenting an aversive stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
2. Identify the key elements in each option: look for a behavior followed by the addition of an unpleasant consequence.
3. Analyze the first option: 'A child touches a hot stove and feels pain.' Here, the behavior (touching the stove) is followed by the addition of pain, which is an unpleasant stimulus.
4. Compare this with other options: receiving a treat is positive reinforcement, losing phone or recess privileges are examples of negative punishment (removal of a pleasant stimulus).
5. Conclude that the example fitting positive punishment is the one where an unpleasant stimulus is added after the behavior, which is the child feeling pain after touching the hot stove.