The idea behind using punishment to teach a child on what is right and what is wrong stems from operant conditioning. According to the textbook Experiencing Psychology, “operant conditioning (or instrumental conditioning) is a form of associative learning in which the consequences of a behavior change the probability of the behavior’s occurrence” (King, 2013, p. 178). For instance, if a child learns the alphabet a parent would reward them for learning it, and then the child would know that learning the alphabet was a good thing.
The down side of this type of conditioning is seen if a child does something wrong, not sharing his or her toys, the parents would then punish the child teaching him or her that it is bad. In recent years, there have been studies that show punishment not being effective when shaping a person’s behavior. While other studies show children understand and respond to punishment more than they respond to rewards. People have seen the use of punishment daily and all throughout their lives, but it is now showing that punishment is not always effective.
There are many studies on both sides of this issue, and great arguments for both stances. There are four kinds of punishment: physical, verbal, withholding rewards, and penalties. According to the Virginia Tech website, physical punishments include slapping, spanking, etc. , while verbal punishment includes shaming and ridiculing (Ruffin, 2009). These two are deemed the most ineffective punishments for children and shaping human behavior. According to the textbook, “[negative punishment] the removal of a stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior” (King, 2013, p. 85).
The book also provides examples of negative punishment, which are time outs for children and grounding teenagers (King, 2013). One of the main issues people have with using punishment to shape human behavior is the unknown factor of how it will effect a child in the future. For instance, Virginia Tech’s website says, “A swat on the bottom is a mild physical punishment. While it may do no permanent physical harm, it does not help the child develop a conscience. Instead, it teaches him that physical violence is an acceptable way of dealing with problems.
Parents should avoid physical punishment” (Ruffin, 2009). Many people believe that physical punishments could lead to a child committing physical violence in the future. While some believe physical and verbal punishments will lead to the child mimick the punishments for their children in the future. The Virginia Tech website suggests using discipline instead of punishment, which includes letting a child face natural consequences. One thing that should be pointed is recidivism in the prison system. Recidivism is “a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior” (Webster’s, 1975).
Many criminals are being released from prison just to be arrested for the same offense, because they are not learning from their mistakes in prison. This leads people to question if punishment is the best way to shape human behavior. Psychologists have also stated that some people use punishments inappropriately, an example of inappropriate punishment would be if a parent was angry or upset. According to the textbook, “punishment is a consequence the decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur” (King, 2013, p. 185). According to the Family education website, “A true punishment is one that is seldom used because it is seldom needed.
This is punishment’s golden rule. Punishment should reduce the need for more punishment; it should decrease the misbehavior. If the misbehavior does not change, then the punishment is not working. Many parents make this mistake, focusing on the punishment rather than the misbehavior” (Sandbox Networks). The website goes on to say that it is better to have a set plan for a punishment rather than making a spur of the moment decision. Creating a punishment on the spot could create a negative punishment, and may not be an effective punishment for the child. For instance, a family should have set plan if a child disrespects their parents.
In some households, disrespect is met with a bar of soap or teaspoon of vinegar, which are both predetermined punishments. The Virginia Tech website discusses withholding rewards and penalties as the more acceptable approaches to punishment. Withholding rewards includes not allowing a child watch television until he or she finishes their homework, and penalties include making a child pay to replace a window he or she broke (Ruffin, 2009). Punishments do work if they are created appropriately, because a child or even most people would try to shape their behavior to reduce the chance of punishment.
Growing up in my household my sister and I both faced punishments, as well as consequences. My mom set up different punishments for my sister and I, and we hardly ever had the same punishments. My sister would be given a teaspoon of vinegar, because it was something that would make her change her behavior. For me, my mom had to try multiple things to see what would make me change my behavior. She tried spanking and a teaspoon of vinegar, but she found out that letting me know I hurt her feelings made me change the way I spoke or acted.
I think every child suffers consequences for not doing something, at least once in their life. When my sister was little my mom always told her to stay away from the curling iron, but it was not until she touched it when it was on that she learned she should leave it alone. I do not think one side is right and the other is wrong, because it really depends on the child and the parent. The Bible talks a lot about discipline and punishment, because each are important in the eyes of God. God punished Adam and Eve by casting them out of the Garden of Eden after the Fall, and God punished those that did not follow His Commandments.
Hebrews 12: 5-7 says, “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. ‘ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ” (ESV). God disciplines His people, because of His love for them. The same could also be said for parents, because parents love their children so much that they want to discipline them and shape them into being better people.
There are always two sides to every argument, and in this case there were those against punishment in learning and those for punishment in learning. Those that are against punishment in learning believe that the method does not actually shape human behavior. Those against believe that if punishment did shape human behavior, it would be in a negative way. Some studies showed that physical punishments could lead to physical violence in the future, and this lead parents to fear the outcome of punishments.
Those for punishment in learning believe that punishing a child could lead to a child curbing their behavior in a good way. That punishment will teach a child what is right and what is wrong. Personally, I think a parent should follow their own beliefs on the issue. There are right and wrong ways to punish a child, but there are ways that punishment could be effective. The Bible even discusses how God disciplines and punishes His people, because He loves and cares for the. It is parents that have to make the choice if they are going to punish their children or not, it should not be based on other people.
