conditioning on children Flashcards
conditioning SHOULD be used in SCHOOLS
effective use of operant conditioning have been shown to improve behaviour of children.
MCALLISTER ET AL- inappropriate talking in high school English classes. praise and disapproval led to decrease.
social implications- better behaviour and less distractions leads to increased concentration= better grades, more meaningful contributions to society.
conditioning should NOT be used in SCHOOLS
undermines intrinsic motivation and leads to overdependence on extrinsic motivation.
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY- group told to play with markers for reward showed significantly less interest in playing with markers afterwards.
social implications- expectation of rewards could carry on into adulthood impacting workplace motivation.
more strategic in the way rewards are used.
conditioning SHOULD be used at HOME
operant conditioning helps to increase desired behaviours.
GILL- experiment on parental control over pocket money, payment or postponement led to 20% increase in completion of chores.
economic implications- helps to teach children on value of money, could improve work ethic.
creates more pleasant home environment.
conditioning should NOT be used at HOME
damaging to childs self esteem.
LOUISE PORTER- feel they aren’t good enough if they don’t receive a reward for something.
social implications- conditioning must be consistent to be effective which is difficult for stressed parents, potentially damaging to child’s mental wellbeing.
not always as effective as expertise promise.
conditioning SHOULD be used for VULNERABLE GROUPS
improve quality of interactions for those with ASD.
LOVAAS- applied behavioural analysis to increase frequency and quality of social interactions, rewarded when behaviour is close to target behaviour.
HEWETT- 13year old named Jimmy, not developed speech, used gumdrops to reinforce behaviours.
social implications- improve social interactions, allow them to fit into society, gain social skills needed for the workplace.
conditioning should NOT be used for VULNERABLE GROUPS
harm outweighing benefits CBA
MASSECHUSETTS SCHOOL- children receive electric shocks when they display an inappropriate behaviour
ethical implications- physical and mental harm to minors
doesn’t tackle root cause of behaviours so likely to re-emerge
conclusion
in conclusion there are strong arguments both for and against the use of conditioning on children. whilst conditioning has been used for decades successfully in the classroom and at home to encourage positive behaviours and remove undesirable behaviours, the long term impacts of using conditioning have not yet been established. the reliance on rewards to drive behaviour can have negative consequences for society, if we are training children to expect rewards for good behaviour, this may transfer into the workplace. therefore, conditioning can be effective but should be used with caution and where possible use methods of encouraging behaviour that do not rely on tangible rewards.
