Final answer:
Punishment, in the context of operant conditioning, is any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a particular behavior. There are two types of punishment: positive punishment and negative punishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Punishment, in the context of operant conditioning, refers to any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a particular behavior. There are two types of punishment discussed: positive punishment and negative punishment.
Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior. For example, scolding a student to get them to stop texting in class would be an example of positive punishment.
Negative punishment involves removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior. For instance, if a child misbehaves, a parent might take away their favorite toy as a form of negative punishment.