Receiving a shock for touching the filing cabinet after being told not to is an example of what kind of punishment?

The scenario describes a situation where a shock is administered for touching a filing cabinet after being instructed not to. This example illustrates positive punishment. In operant conditioning terminology, positive punishment occurs when an aversive stimulus is presented following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. In this case, the shock serves as an unpleasant consequence that aims to discourage the individual from touching the filing cabinet again.

By introducing an unfavorable outcome (the shock), the intention is to reduce the undesired behavior (touching the filing cabinet). Thus, this is a classic example of positive punishment in action. The use of an aversive stimulus effectively highlights the essential components of positive punishment in behavioral learning theory.