Positve and Negative Reinforecement

696 Words3 Pages
Positive and Negative Reinforcement with Children Parenting is one of the hardest job there is, constantly worrying about their children health, safety and wellbeing. However, many parents struggle with disciplining their children. They struggle with constantly having to find a balance between how and when to discipline. Many child psychologists and child developmental experts have split discipline into two categories: positive and negative reinforcement. Reinforcement is used to help increase the probability that a specific behavior will occur in the future by delivering a stimulus immediately after a response or behavior is exhibited Each category has benefits when appropriately used, but can easy turn into abuse or neglect. Three major types of reinforcement are physical, verbal, and resource driven, each can be manipulated into positive or negative. In today’s society is it frowned upon to physically discipline your children, either spanking or smacking. It is viewed as a barbaric action. However unpopular it is, distinct differences can be observed between children who have been physically negatively reinforced and those who have not. Generally children who misbehave and are not physically disciplined develop authority issues in adolescence when confronted. In contrast children, who are overly physically praised, via hugging and coddling, grow up needing that physical attention and have a difficult time becoming independent. A preferred method of discipline is verbal reinforcement by either scolding or praising. When used properly it conveys the clearest method. If a parent scolds a child for breaking something the child understands he or she has done something wrong. If you praise a child for cleaning their room they understand they have done something correct. However, scolding can quickly become yelling and name calling, which can border

More about Positve and Negative Reinforecement

Open Document