Aspects of Psychology
January 9, 2013
Unit 1 Discussion Board
Aspects of Psychology
Which do you think is more effective, reinforcement or punishment?
As far as which is more effective, I can see the pros and cons for each. If a person is punished for something they do, they might think twice about performing that same action in the future.
Negative reinforcement- An example of this type of reinforcement could be when your parents ask you week after week to clean your room. The reactions you are feeling from your parents are that they are nagging you week after week to perform this task. Then, the next week you clean your room without being told to do so, and you find that the nagging from your parents has stopped. You may consider the nagging your parents are doing as a negative but you will soon see that once you perform this task without being told, the nagging will stop and you will more than likely continue to perform this task week after week without being told.
Positive reinforcement- An example of this type of reinforcement could be if you are struggling with a certain subject in school. Your parents know you are capable of bringing up your grade in this subject and tell you that if you get an “A” on your report card they will reward you with money or a trip to the mall. Every time you bring home a test with a good grade on it, they give you praise and tell you great job. In the end you end up with the “A” they knew you could achieve and reward you with a trip to the mall to buy a brand new outfit.
Positive punishment- An example of positive punishment is when a high school student has a cell phone and takes it to school with them. This student forgets to turn it off or turn the ringer off while in class. The teacher hears the cell phone and scolds the student in front of the other classmates. By approaching the situation in this manner that student will either leave their cell phone at home or make sure it is turned off during class times.
Unit 1 Discussion Board
Aspects of Psychology
Which do you think is more effective, reinforcement or punishment?
As far as which is more effective, I can see the pros and cons for each. If a person is punished for something they do, they might think twice about performing that same action in the future.
Negative reinforcement- An example of this type of reinforcement could be when your parents ask you week after week to clean your room. The reactions you are feeling from your parents are that they are nagging you week after week to perform this task. Then, the next week you clean your room without being told to do so, and you find that the nagging from your parents has stopped. You may consider the nagging your parents are doing as a negative but you will soon see that once you perform this task without being told, the nagging will stop and you will more than likely continue to perform this task week after week without being told.
Positive reinforcement- An example of this type of reinforcement could be if you are struggling with a certain subject in school. Your parents know you are capable of bringing up your grade in this subject and tell you that if you get an “A” on your report card they will reward you with money or a trip to the mall. Every time you bring home a test with a good grade on it, they give you praise and tell you great job. In the end you end up with the “A” they knew you could achieve and reward you with a trip to the mall to buy a brand new outfit.
Positive punishment- An example of positive punishment is when a high school student has a cell phone and takes it to school with them. This student forgets to turn it off or turn the ringer off while in class. The teacher hears the cell phone and scolds the student in front of the other classmates. By approaching the situation in this manner that student will either leave their cell phone at home or make sure it is turned off during class times.
References: Positive and Negative Punishment. (2012, January 4). Pediatric Therapy Chicago, Glenview, Highland Park | Child Development Resources. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/the-difference-between-positive-and-negative-punishment/ Reinforcement and Punishment in Psychology 101 at AllPsych Online. (2011, November 29). Psychology Classroom at AllPsych Online. Retrieved January 9, 2013, from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/reinforcement.html