The Differences between Positive and Negative Punishments

The Differences between Positive and Negative Punishments
Punishment is a major concept of operant conditioning which seeks to minimize an undesirable behavior. Punishment is meant to help individuals appreciate that what they are doing is wrong. Punishment can either be positive or negative. This essay outlines the similarities and differences between positive and negative punishments and provides real-world examples to illustrate them.
On the one hand, positive punishment entails presenting a negative consequence where an individual exhibits undesired behavior, making the individual likely to commit the same behavior in the future (Stangor & Walinga, 2018). In other words, it works by adding something to reduce the likelihood of a behavior. The added item means that the person has to do more than usual. On the contrary, negative punishment involves removing a certain desired item when someone exhibits undesired behavior, making the individual less likely to show the same behavior in the future (Sidin, 2021). Here, something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior. Removing something someone needs will make them change so that it can be brought back.
Positive and negative punishments have similarities. Firstly, the two have the same purpose. They are intended to punish those who exhibit unwanted behavior to stop people from doing something wrong (Papageorgi, 2021). Secondly, they are both useful when someone acts immediately. One needs to act right after the undesired behavior. Lastly, none of them guarantees effectiveness. Both are unable to deliver permanent results. However, positive and negative punishments have differences. To begin with, positive punishment is accomplished by adding something extra to the unwanted behavior. On the contrary, negative punishment is done by removing something resulting from the wrongdoing. Additionally, positive punishment is more eff...