What best describes 'positive punishment'?

The concept of positive punishment is fundamentally tied to the introduction of a stimulus with the intent of decreasing a behavior. In behavioral terms, when a consequence follows a behavior that results in a decrease in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future, it is identified as punishment. The term 'positive' in this context indicates that a stimulus is added or introduced after the behavior.

For example, if a child touches a hot stove and feels the pain (the added stimulus), they are less likely to touch the stove again in the future due to the unpleasant experience. This directly relates to the purpose of positive punishment, which is to modify behavior by adding something undesirable following the behavior to discourage its recurrence.

The other options describe different concepts in behavioral modification. The removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior pertains to negative punishment; shifting gaze may refer to reinforcement strategies rather than punishment; and ignoring a behavior is related to extinction methods, where a behavior is diminished by withholding reinforcement. Thus, option B accurately encapsulates the essence of positive punishment.