Final answer:
Positive and negative punishment are different mechanisms in operant conditioning. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior, while negative punishment involves removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
In operant conditioning, positive and negative do not mean good and bad. Positive means you are adding something, and negative means you are taking something away. Reinforcement means you are increasing a behavior, and punishment means you are decreasing a behavior. Positive punishment is when you add an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior, while negative punishment is when you remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.
For example, positive punishment can involve scolding a student to get them to stop texting in class, while negative punishment can involve taking away a child's favorite toy when they misbehave.
Positive punishers can teach a valuable lesson, but it is important to be aware of the possible negative effects. It may cause fear or increase aggression. Today, experts favor reinforcement over punishment and recommend catching your child doing something good and rewarding them for it.