The Effects of Reinforcement & Punishment

Punishment and reinforcement can be used to control and teach appropriate behavior to children. Punishment decreases the chances of a behavior reoccurring, while reinforcement increases the chance of a behavior being repeated. By adding or removing something, you can make punishment and reinforcement a negative or positive experience. Consistency is important so the child learns what to expect each time the behavior occurs.

  1. Positive Reinforcement

    • Positive reinforcement works by motivating the person to change her behavior or learn a new behavior through rewarding the recipient in exchange for the desirable behavior. Small prizes work best with young children. Examples include giving your daughter a piece of candy after she cleaned up her toys. Positive rewards for adolescents include extra privileges. Your son may be allowed to use your car for his big date if he finishes all the yard work on Saturday.

    Negative Reinforcement

    • Negative reinforcement encourages appropriate behavior through a negative interaction. Examples include nagging your child to do his chores or homework each day. The idea behind this method is that your son will want to avoid the nagging and will complete his chores and homework without reminders to avoid hearing you nag. While this may seem to work for your child, frequent negative reinforcements can lead to a negative relationship with your child. Begin in a positive manner and use the negative reinforcement sparingly.

    Punishment

    • Punishment decreases an unwanted behavior. Punishment seems to work as the child often stops the behavior. For example, people who use spanking as punishment often think it works because the child stops misbehaving. The child doesn't want to be spanked, but she is still left not knowing what to do. Focusing too often on what the child is doing wrong and punishing her can leave your child feeling guilty, ashamed, depressed, angry or resentful. This can also lead to low self-esteem.

    Balanced Approach

    • Your children's behavior will change as they grow and mature, and you will need to grow and change right along with them. It is important to use punishment only as needed and focus on the positive, desirable behaviors that you want your child to continue. Discipline is about teaching your child to make good choices that will help him throughout his life. Depending on the situation, you may find yourself being positive, negative or punitive. Be consistent and fair and your child will trust you to lead her in the right direction.

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