Various strategies have emerged from many investigations, aimed at buildingtechniquesaimed at modifying behaviorsconsidered inappropriate by society and one of them ispositive punishment.
In the following article, we give youall the information regarding positive punishment, what are its most relevant characteristics and we will explain how it works.
What is positive punishment?
To enter into context, in psychology, B.Skinner’s operant conditioning(1)(2), likeinstrumental conditioning, postulatestwo types of punishments: negative punishment andpositive punishment.
Positive punishment is a procedure that is applied in the child’s learning, and consists of a technique used for behavior modification, which refers to theintroduction of an unpleasant or aversive stimulusevery time it manifests a behaviorthat is considered inappropriate. (3)
It differs fromnegative punishment, in that it is based on thewithdrawal of the desired stimulusand serves as reinforcement. It also differs fromnegative reinforcement, as it eliminates the stimulus to increase the likelihood that the behavior will become more frequent.
Note: Positive and negative punishment are meant tomodify the child’s behavior, but they have differences in the way the stimulus is presented and used.
How does positive punishment work?
For thecorrect application of this strategy, we must know how positive punishment works. In this case, we explain each of its components:
1. There is an unpleasant stimulus
The main characteristic of thisbehavioral modification strategy is that when an inappropriate behavior occurs, the sanction isapplied by applying an unpleasant or aversive stimulus, which indicates that each time this behavior is shown, this stimulus will be received untilthe behavior is modified.
2. The pain avoidance principle is used
The principle used by this punishment technique is that the penalized subject will try at all times not to manifest inappropriate behavior in order to avoid the negative sensation, whether physical or psychological, of the punishment.
3. Reduce or eliminate unwanted behaviors
The main purpose of applying this learning technique is to reduce or eliminate the manifestation of socially unwanted behaviors in the subject . This aspect helps in the integration of the individual to the different social circles of his environment.
4. It can occur consciously or unconsciously
Positive punishment can also appear without the need for the sanction to be applied consciously or deliberately by a person.
In this sense, there are many cases in which the application is done automatically, such as when the child plays with matches and accidentally burns. In this case, the aversion occurred without the need for someone else to administer it.
To highlight: Punishments can occur deliberately and usually happen or have happened very frequently in the educational field , where teachers punish their students for inappropriate behavior, although this practice is already extinct.
Where is positive punishment applied?
The application of the positive punishment strategy is especially relevant in the following environments:
1. Educational and family environment
In the places where the child expresses his emotions the most , it is in the middle of the family group and it happens because his caregivers are directly responsible for the behavior presented by his children before the community.
You should know: The strategy of positive punishment is very common in this environment, with a view to suppressing inappropriate behavior.
In the school environment, positive punishment is applied because it is an obligation of teachers to teach their students manners and good customs, so it has been a practice in this environment to modify erroneous behaviors.
2. Work and social environment
The basis of the integration of the individual in society, involves respecting the rules that exist to regulate behavior in social groups and this is the case in the workplace.
For example, in the social environment The Criminal Behavior of some subjects may occur, for which the State builds rules to apply sanctionsthose who manifest this behavior, such as temporary deprivation of liberty.
In the same way, it occurs in the workplace, the case where there are workers who violate the agreed norms of the employment contract and, for example, fail to work periodically, to which positive punishment can be applied as a sanction and deduction of the worker’s salary in the days or hours that you stop working.
Important: The basis of a good education, lies in the proper and non-abusive application of punishment to avoid the appearance of other consequences in the mental health of individuals.
Key Findings
- Positive punishment is a technique to modify behavior in the individual.
- This technique belongs to B. Skinner’s operant conditioning .
- Positive punishment applies to the individual an unpleasant or aversive stimulus on a behavior that is considered inappropriate to correct it.
- It is a strategy very frequently used in the family and educational environment.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.