Distinguish between the concepts of positive punishment and negative punishment.

Positive punishment and negative punishment are two types of operant conditioning techniques used to influence behavior. Operant conditioning is a method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior. Both positive and negative punishment are aimed at decreasing the likelihood of an unwanted behavior occurring in the future, but they do so in different ways.

Positive Punishment:
Positive punishment involves the addition of an unpleasant stimulus following a behavior, with the intention of decreasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. The term "positive" here refers to the addition of something, rather than being inherently good. For example, if a child touches a hot stove and feels pain (the added unpleasant stimulus), they are less likely to touch the stove again. The pain is a positive punishment because it is something added to the situation that discourages the behavior.

Negative Punishment:
Negative punishment, on the other hand, involves the removal of a pleasant or desired stimulus after a behavior occurs, with the goal of reducing the frequency of that behavior. The term "negative" refers to the subtraction or removal of something. An example of negative punishment would be taking away a teenager's video game privileges (the pleasant stimulus) because they came home past curfew. By removing something the teenager enjoys, the parent is using negative punishment to decrease the likelihood of the teenager coming home late again.

In summary, positive punishment adds an unpleasant consequence to reduce a behavior, while negative punishment takes away a pleasant stimulus to reduce a behavior. Both are strategies used in behavior modification, but they work through different mechanisms of action.