“Spare the rod and spoil the child” Developmental Psychology
What Does This Mean? / Refusing to use corporal punishment results in unruly behavior in children / And, hey! God says so! (Proverbs 13:24) / Refusing to use corporal punishment results in unruly behavior in children / And, hey! God says so! (Proverbs 13:24)
Defining Terms / “Sparing the rod”: not using any form of corporal punishment (intentional infliction of pain, be it with a hand, paddle, belt or other object) / “Spoils the child”: unruly behavior, perhaps characterized by vocal, public outbursts / “Sparing the rod”: not using any form of corporal punishment (intentional infliction of pain, be it with a hand, paddle, belt or other object) / “Spoils the child”: unruly behavior, perhaps characterized by vocal, public outbursts
Where We Looked / New Jersey State Bar Association / 2.cfm / Not a great one: / / Peer Reviewed / Carey, T.A. (1994). Spare the rod and spoil the child. Is this a sensible justification for the use of punishment in child rearing? Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(12), / New Jersey State Bar Association / 2.cfm / Not a great one: / / Peer Reviewed / Carey, T.A. (1994). Spare the rod and spoil the child. Is this a sensible justification for the use of punishment in child rearing? Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(12),
Findings / Punishment will curb unwanted behaviors / If punishment is used / needs to be timely, proportionate, and explained / violence and fear is learned / In general though, it’s better to use positive reinforcement to shape behavior, not punishment / Behaviors are longer lasting / Punishment will curb unwanted behaviors / If punishment is used / needs to be timely, proportionate, and explained / violence and fear is learned / In general though, it’s better to use positive reinforcement to shape behavior, not punishment / Behaviors are longer lasting
Possible Experiment / Three conditions, randomly assign children to one of them / 1) punish bad behavior / 2) reward good behavior / 3) largely let the child go / Three conditions, randomly assign children to one of them / 1) punish bad behavior / 2) reward good behavior / 3) largely let the child go
“Spare the rod and spoil the child” Developmental Psychology