If a child sticks a finger in a light socket and gets a shock, that may be the last time the child ever tries it. More often, however, punishment only temporary suppresses a response. If the response is
still reinforced, punishment may be particularly ineffective. Response suppressed by mild
punishment usually reappear later. if a child sneaks a snack from the refrigerator before
dinner and is punished for it, the child may pass up snacks for a short time. But since snack
sneaking was also rewarded by the sneaked snack, the child will probably try sneaky
snacking again, sometime later.