What happens when a behavior is followed consistently by a negative consequence, such as pain or discomfort?

When a behavior is consistently followed by a negative consequence, such as pain or discomfort, it is referred to as positive punishment. This concept signifies that an unwanted behavior is decreased as a result of an added stimulus— in this case, the negative consequence. By applying a stimulus that the animal finds aversive, the behavior is less likely to be repeated in the future.

Positive punishment is different from concepts like negative punishment, which involves the removal of a positive stimulus following an undesired behavior to decrease its occurrence. Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, involves adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior, while extinction refers to the reduction of a behavior by not reinforcing it. Therefore, when discussing the impact of a negative consequence on behavior, positive punishment clearly aligns with the definition involving the introduction of an aversive factor to discourage the behavior.