A review of the literature on punishment indicates that the term has many definitions and connotations. Punishment has been defined as the presentation of an aversive stimulus contingent upon a behavior. It has also been defined as the withdrawal of a positive reinforcer, or the removal of the opportunity to gain reinforcement. This article reviews the definitions and connotations of punishment vis-à-vis their application in educational settings. Specific reference to the use of punishment procedures with emotionally disturbed, educable mentally retarded, and normal children will help provide the teacher of a mainstreamed classroom with examples of how punishment procedures have been employed to reduce a number of common problems found in the classroom. Finally, guidelines and implications for the use of punishment contingencies are presented.
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