Punishment in Psychology

Punishment involves the use of adverse consequences to reduce a behavior. The goal is to form an association between the behavior and the negative consequences. Once this association is created, the hope is that the behavior will then be less likely to occur. 

Punishment can involve either applying an aversive consequence (such as getting a ticket for speeding) or taking away something desirable (such as a child losing their screen time privileges).

This article discusses how punishment is used in psychology, its effects, and potential downsides.

Definition of Punishment in Psychology

In psychology, punishment refers to any change that occurs after a behavior that reduces the likelihood that that behavior will happen again in the future. The goal of punishment is to either reduce or stop a behavior.

Punishment plays an important role in operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning method that utilizes rewards and punishments to modify behavior.

Types of Punishment

When people think of punishment, they often immediately think of the application of some type of negative consequence. Prison, spanking, or scolding are a few examples that come to mind. But punishment can also involve taking good things away, such as losing a privilege or reward.

Behaviorist B. F. Skinner, the psychologist who first described operant conditioning, identified two different kinds of aversive stimuli that can be used as punishment: positive punishment and negative punishment.

Positive Punishment

How can punishment be positive? In this case, the term positive refers to the addition of something. Positive punishment is a type of punishment that is also known as "punishment by application."

For example, when a student talks out of turn in the middle of class, the teacher might scold the child for interrupting.​​

Negative Punishment

In the case of negative punishment, negative refers to taking something away. Negative punishment is also known as "punishment by removal."

For example, when the student from the previous example talks out of turn again, the teacher promptly tells the child that they will have to miss recess because of their behavior.

Examples of Punishment

To understand how punishment works, exploring a few more examples of how it might be used in everyday life can be helpful.

• Time-outs: A time-out involves removing a child from a situation and having them sit in a more isolated location. The goal is to punish undesirable behavior.
• Response cost: This punishment method involves taking away desired possessions, such as toys or privileges after an undesirable behavior has occurred.
• Overcorrection: An overcorrection involves someone taking corrective actions after an undesirable behavior. For example, a child who throws toys on the ground during a tantrum will be punished by having to clean up the mess that they made.
• Verbal reprimands: Scolding is an example of punishment. For example, a parent might scold their child by telling them why their behavior was inappropriate.

Is Punishment Effective?

While punishment can be effective in some cases, you can probably think of a few examples of when a punishment does not consistently reduce unwanted behavior. Prison is one example. Serving time in prison does not necessarily serve as a deterrent to future criminal behavior.

Timing

First, punishment is more effective if is applied quickly. Prison sentences often occur long after the crime has been committed, which may help explain one reason why sending people to jail does not always lead to a reduction in criminal behavior.

Consistency

Second, punishment achieves greater results when it is consistently applied. It can be difficult to administer a punishment every time a behavior occurs.

For example, people often drive over the speed limit even after receiving a speeding ticket. Why? Because the behavior is inconsistently punished.

Disadvantages of Punishment

Punishment also has some notable drawbacks. First, any behavior changes that result from punishment are often temporary.

"Punished behavior is likely to reappear after the punitive consequences are withdrawn," Skinner explained in his book "Beyond Freedom and Dignity."

Perhaps the most significant short-term drawback is that punishment does not offer any information about more appropriate or desired behaviors. While subjects might be learning not to perform specific actions, they are not learning anything about what they should be doing.

Long-Term Consequences of Punishment

Another thing to consider about punishment is that it can have unintended and undesirable consequences. Researchers have found that this type of physical, or corporal, punishment may lead to antisocial behavior, aggression, and delinquency among children.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that corporal punishment increases behavioral problems and leads to no positive outcomes. It also increases the risk of a range of problems, including:

• Poor physical health
• Increased mental health problems
• Impaired cognitive and psychosocial development
• Increased aggression and violence
• Worse educational outcomes

One summary of the research on the use of physical punishment found that it harmed the quality of children's relationships with their parents, reduced children's cognitive abilities, and increased adult aggression and antisocial behavior.

According to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, the number of parents reporting spanking their children has declined over the past 25 years. In 1993, 50% of parents reported spanking their kids. By 2017, this number had dropped to 35%.

Alternatives to Punishment

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents avoid spanking and other forms of corporal punishment, including yelling and shaming. While such methods may lead to the short-term reduction of a behavior, they are linked to worse behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial outcomes. 

Other behavioral strategies, such as reinforcement and extinction, may be more effective in many cases. The AAP recommends using safer and more effective disciplinary strategies such as redirecting, positive reinforcement, and limit setting.