behaviorist debate- using conditioning to control the behavior of children

Question 1

for conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the argument?

Answer 1

conditioning is appropriate because parental control over rewards increases positive behavior.

Question 2

for conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the evidence?

Answer 2

-gill (1998) asked parents to pay pocket money for completion of chores (positive reinforcement) and withhold pocket money for the non-completion of chores (punishment).
-she concluded that reinforcement was successful because children completed around 20% of household chores.

Question 3

for conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the further evidence?

Answer 3

-early head start research and evaluation project (EHSRE) found that there was no association between reported use of timeouts and negative symptoms in later childhood, including anxiety, depression, internalizing or externalizing problems, aggression, rule-breaking behavior, or self-control.
-there also weren’t any differences in the measure of creativity when the children were about to enter kindergarten.

Question 4

for conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the evaluation/link?

Answer 4

-this is a strong argument as it demonstrates that the use of conditioning promoted positive and good behavior in children.
-it also demonstrates that it is ethically sound to use rewards and punishments in the home as there were no emotional or long-term impacts of these on the children.

Question 5

for conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
What are the social/economic implications?

Answer 5

this is a positive social and economic implication too, as teaching young children that their behavior has an impact (e.g. positive or negative consequences), prepares them for school, and the workplace where they will need to follow rules and behave in a particular way.

Question 6

against conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the argument?

Answer 6

conditioning is not appropriate because it can cause long term emotional effects on children.

Question 7

against conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the evidence?

Answer 7

-morris (2014) criticizes the “naughty step”.
-it is argued that this can have an impact by creating long term emotional effects. children do not have the same ability as an adult to reflect on their behavior or verbalize their feelings.

Question 8

against conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the further evidence?

Answer 8

-the article “smacking children is ineffective and increases behavioral problems, researchers conclude” by the inews discusses a major academic review suggesting that physically punishing children doesn’t improve behavior and may even worsen it.
-led by UCL and an international team, the review of 69 studies found a causal link between physical punishment and increased behavior problems. despite this, millions of children globally still experience such punishment. the findings have led to calls for bans on smacking in various countries.
-lead author dr. anja heilmann emphasizes the ineffectiveness and harm of physical punishment, highlighting its potential for causing long-term emotional effects on children.

Question 9

against conditioning children to control their behavior (at home)
what is the evaluation/link?

Answer 9

-this is a strong argument as it shows how children can develop serious emotional effects due to conditioning in the home.
-the childhood experiences that conditioning create can have an extreme effect on mental health in adulthood and can cause negative childhood memories.

Question 10

for conditioning children to control their behavior
(in school)
what is the argument?

Answer 10

conditioning is appropriate in schools because it can produce good behavior in children.

Question 11

for conditioning children to control their behavior
(in school)
what is the evidence?

Answer 11

mcallister et al (1969) looked at secondary school English classes and found that when praise was increased for good behavior and disapproval was increased for inappropriate talking, there was a decrease in inappropriate behavior. This shows how encouraging students who are behaving well improves their good behavior and disciplining students with inappropriate behavior produces good behavior.

Question 12

for conditioning children to control their behavior
(in school)
what is the further evidence?

Answer 12

-furthermore, an article by heather craig, “5 Positive Reinforcement activities to use in the classroom”, shows that conditioning can promote good behavior by providing examples such as; verbal praise, written approval and other expressions of approval from teachers.
-additionally, it highlights how tangible reinforcers, such as stickers and awards, can motivate students to exhibit desired behaviors.
-the article discusses how conditioning techniques such as “The Good Behavior Game” can create a positive classroom environment by rewarding collective efforts and encouraging students to work together.

Question 13

for conditioning children to control their behavior
(in school)
what is the evaluation/link?

Answer 13

this is a strong argument because it demonstrates how conditioning, specifically positive reinforcement, can effectively foster good behaviors and enhance learning outcomes in educational settings.

Question 14

against conditioning children to control their behavior (in school)
what is the argument?

Answer 14

conditioning is not appropriate in schools because it can interfere with a child’s internal drive to learn.

Question 15

against conditioning children to control their behavior (in school)
what is the evidence?

Answer 15

lepper et al (1973) found that children who were offered a reward for doing a drawing spent half as much time on their drawing compared to children who were not promised anything. This shows how using rewards allows children to be less likely to prioritize learning and will lose their internal drive to learn.

Question 16

against conditioning children to control their behavior (in school)
what is the further evidence?

Answer 16

furthermore, an article on Mind Shift, “How ending behavior rewards helped one school focus on student motivation and character”, shows that whilst rewards may seem effective in the short term, research suggests they can have harmful long-term effects on motivation and character development.
-the article highlights a case study of Northview High School in Florissant, Missouri where the principal implemented a prize-free approach to character education. The approach resulted in positive outcomes with students showing increased engagement, academic growth and willingness to help others.

Question 17

against conditioning children to control their behavior (in school)
what is the evaluation/link?

Answer 17

this is a strong argument as it shows that conditioning in schools can have negative effects on children’s internal drive to learn as well as making us consider the possible issues with reward systems within school.

Question 18

for conditioning children to control their behavior (vulnerable groups of children)
what is the argument?

Answer 18

conditioning is appropriate because it provides benefits for children who are vulnerable.

Question 19

for conditioning children to control their behavior (vulnerable groups of children)
what is the evidence?

Answer 19

chaney et al (2004) demonstrated the use of the “funhaler”- an asthma inhaler for children which is fun-reinforcing the use of it. After two weeks, the children’s parents reported less problems and medicating had a more positive response.

Question 20

for conditioning children to control their behavior (vulnerable groups of children)
what is the further evidence?

Answer 20

lovaas (1987) developed ABA (applied behavior analysis) to increase social interactions for children on the autism spectrum. Rewards are given for desirable social behavior. An article “Operant Conditioning and ABA” by Tanager highlights ABA therapy’s effectiveness for autism, rooted in evidence-based practices like operant conditioning. It explains how ABA uses reinforcement to encourage positive behaviors and techniques like punishment and extinction to reduce negative ones. It clarifies that terms like “punishment” and “extinction” are not meant to be harsh but simply describe behavior reduction strategies. The goal is to correct misconceptions and emphasize ABA’s role in supporting children with autism.

Question 21

for conditioning children to control their behavior (vulnerable groups of children)
what is the counter argument?

Answer 21

however, experimenter bias is prominent in Lovaas research. The research has methodological flaws- no random allocation to control and experimental conditions (weakness in design)- which means that there will be a decrease in the validity of the conclusions.

Question 22

for conditioning children to control their behavior (vulnerable groups of children)
what is the evaluation/link?

Answer 22

this is a strong argument as it shows how conditioning can help vulnerable groups of children in a non-harmful way and in a way that helps them in the long-term.