Which scenario demonstrates positive punishment?

• A. You get burned by touching the hood of a car in the sun.
• B. A dog receives a treat for sitting on command.
• C. A parent withholds dessert for misbehavior.
• D. A child learns a dance by watching a video.

Answer: (A)

Positive punishment adds an unpleasant consequence after a behavior to reduce the chance that the behavior will occur again. In this scenario, touching a hot car hood results in a burn. That aversive outcome is introduced because of the action, making you less likely to touch the hood in the future.

The other scenarios illustrate different processes: giving a treat for a desired behavior is positive reinforcement (adding something good to increase the behavior); withholding dessert is negative punishment (taking away a desirable thing to decrease the behavior); learning a dance by watching a video is observational learning, not a consequence-based change.