Control Behavior, Essay Example

Introduction

“Spare the rod and spoil the child” – many parents and teachers follow this philosophy, trying to motivate their children to behave appropriately. This philosophy justifies the use of physical punishment to bring up children. Punishment is used to control human behaviors, to deter undesirable behavioral reactions, and to teach children and adults desirable behavioral reactions. Physical punishment supports a common view of the human nature, which wants pleasures and is willing to avoid pain by all possible means. Punishment may take a variety of forms, but many people believe that only physical punishment can keep people in line. However, neither punishment nor reward can promote behavioral compliance. Rather, a balanced combination of rewards and punishments (carrot-and-stick approach) is the best way to teach individuals the principal standards of acceptable behavior: punishment, reward, and balance are the three key elements that pave a better way to control behavior.

Physical punishment has long been the critical component of numerous behavioral initiatives. Religious communities believed that only physical punishment could teach the child the negative consequences of wrongdoing. Corporal punishment developed as a separate trend in public education. Spanking is still a common form of physical punishment in families: thousands of mothers and fathers feel that spanking is the only way to deter undesirable behaviors in their children. The value of physical punishment is in the pain it causes to individuals. The human nature leads people to seek pleasures and avoid pain by all possible means; thus, the fear of physical punishment must keep people from engaging in deviant behaviors. However, physical punishment is also the source of serious emotional and physical problems. For example, some children may not understand why they are spanked. Others may grow angry and hostile toward their parents and teachers. Some children intentionally engage in deviant behaviors, to manifest their disagreement with physical punishment. The number of young deviants and unethical individuals does not decrease means that physical punishment is not always an effective way to control behavior. In this context, rewards could help to control human behaviors.

Rewards offer an alternative way to control behaviors. A small cookie from the parents, a good mark during the lesson, positive relationships with peers and excellent reputation are the rewards a person enjoys for being “nice”. The human nature pushes individuals to seek pleasures, and, logically, individuals choose behaviors that are self-rewarding. However, are rewards a good way to control behavior? No, they are not. Compared with punishments, rewards are unsophisticated instruments of behavioral control. They do not make people think. Rewards do not lead individuals to reconsider the reasons of wrongdoing. Rewards do not stimulate individuals to avoid undesirable behaviors. Too many rewards are a serious threat to the person’s emotional and mental stability: individuals who get too many rewards easily hook on praise and grow spoiled. The main question is in what is the best way to control human behavior.

A reasonable balance of rewards and punishments is the best way to control behavior. Such combination of negative and positive reinforcers will help individuals to develop a better understanding of acceptable behaviors and avoid acts, actions, and decisions that are considered inappropriate. Rewards are an effective way to teach individuals desirable and acceptable behaviors. For example, a smile is a fantastic way to reward a child each time he helps to clean the kitchen after the dinner. In his search for pleasure and self-fulfillment, a child will engage in other household activities, as long as such participation is followed by a small reward. A satisfactory mark is an excellent way to reward the child for his (her) learning achievements – next time, this child will try his best to meet the teacher’s requirements and earn a good grade. Punishment must serve the measure of last resort and be used in situations, when rewards no longer work. Punishment is relevant to the extent, which reminds individuals of the negative consequences of wrongdoing, especially in short-term perspectives. Punishment is particularly effective in case of repetitive behavioral violations: for example, a child who regularly abuses peers and does not understand why it is unacceptable needs to be punished. Punishment must not be physical – the literal meaning of the “spare the rod and spoil the child” philosophy is better to be avoided. Punishment can take a variety of forms, from oral disagreement to “no-friends-no tv-no internet” policies. Parents can simply refuse to provide their children with a number of benefits, e.g. vacations and trips. The choice of a particular form of punishment depends on the seriousness of wrongdoing and one’s willingness to “learn the lesson”. A balanced combination of rewards and punishment is the best way to tame the human nature, without lowering individuals’ self-esteem and generating hostility and violence in those, who are punished.

Conclusion

“Spare the rod and spoil the child” – thousands of people pursue this philosophy and use physical punishment to control human behaviors. Physical punishment supports a common view of human nature, which wants pleasures and avoids physical pain by all possible means. However, neither punishment nor rewards are an effective way to control behavior. Too much punishment results in hostility and lowers self-esteem. Too many rewards spoil individuals. A reasonable balance of rewards and punishment is the best way to control behavior. A balanced combination of rewards and punishment is the best means to tame the human nature, without lowering individuals’ self-esteem and generating hostility and violence in those, who are punished.