Image via Wikipedia Today’s Question: “Do you believe in spanking children to get to them to behave?”
That’s the question addressed in today’s podcast called “Rewards and Punishments”. We’ll look at this issue, along with a few others in this podcast. Join host Michael Britt in examining this controversial issue and you’ll also learn how to tell the difference between B.F. Skinner’s concepts of positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment (”positive punishment”? - you’ll have to tune in to figure that one out).
Click to hear episode 2 on Rewards and Punishments.
Articles in the Popular Press
- Here’s an article that appeared on the ABC online news site entitled, Should Spanking Your Child Be Illegal? An interesting article.
Related Episodes
Since this podcast I’ve done a number of episodes that address the effectiveness of rewards, punishment, spanking, and timeout on a child’s behavior. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out these episodes:
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Episode 28 called Is Timeout Really Effective?
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Episode 33 on Timeout Revisited: Dealing with Challenging Kids Part 1
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Episode 34, called Timeout Revisited: Dealing with Challenging Kids Part 2.
If you’d like to download the concept map that accompanies this podcast, click the small image below to view the map, then drag it to your desktop (or right click and use “save as”).
3D Concept Map
I made a crazy 3D version of the concepts in this concept map, which you can play with. Let me know what you think. Click on the link below.
Rewards and Punishments 3D Map
I’ve been reading a couple excellent books on the topic of alternative ways to get children to behave (alternatives to spankings that is). The approach is called Positive Discipline. You can find it at Amazon. Excellent advice for both parents and teachers. Positive Discipline
Another one of Jane Nelson’s books on positive discipline techniques has to do with effective ways to do timeout. Check out her book, also on Amazon.Positive Time-Out: And Over 50 Ways to Avoid Power Struggles in the Home and the Classroom
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- The B. F. Skinner Foundation website has some very good videos that might be of interest.
I’d like to note there is a distinction between a reinforcement (positive or negative) and a reward or punishment. Reinforcement is far more effective than reward because it occurs as soon as the desired behavior is observed. A reward or punishment occurs AFTER a behavior targeted for modification. When the subject given a reward or punishment, he/she/it has no control over it. Conversely, when reinforcement is used, the subject is in control, it can change it’s behavior NOW to earn reinforcement.
Examples:
A parent lectures a child upon seeing a bad report card. The child is being punished for earning poor grades. (And for showing the parent the report card!) There is nothing the child can do to stop this.
A parent praises a child upon seeing a good report card. This is a reward.
A parent praises a child who is currently doing homework. This is positive reinforcement.
A parent lectures a child who is playing video games. This is negative reinforcement IF the child can stop the unpleasant lecture, by, for example, putting away the video game.
Rewards and punishments are weak. Reinforcements are strong. Always ask yourself, what behavior am I reinforcing?
Tarsha,
You make a very good point. The distinction between reward and reinforcement is often not made, but as you say above, a reinforcement given while a behavior is occuring can be very powerful. Thanks for the thought!
Michael
[...] An early episode of The Psych Files covers the basics of rewards and punishments. [...]
Thanks for this delightful site and an actual, factually correct podcast about basic concepts of behavioral psychology.
One thing though … and touched upon, I think, by Tarsha: Is a paycheck really a positive reinforcer?
Rolf - good point. A paycheck is more correctly a reward than a positive reinforcer. Thanks for the positive comments! Michael