A series of investigations which simultaneously manipulated parameters of reinforcement and age and sex of children were conducted in order to further describe the learning process in children. In addition, an attempt was made to relate perceived parental discipline to performance in the discrimination learning tasks employed in this research. The…

A report of the British government's Central Policy Review Staff finds no reliable evidence that harsh punishment deters the vandal. It recommends that local authorities make buildings more vandal-proof and adults be encouraged to help deter and catch young offenders. (Author/SJL)

Examines the child rearing and disciplinary methods of parents of adolescent boys who were reported by their parents to be serious control problems. On the basis of a social learning analysis of family relationships, it was hypothesized that parental difficulty in controlling adolescents was related to two factors: parent consistency in setting…

Teachers use punishment for undesirable behavior more frequently in response to male students than female students. (JD)

Measures the relative effectiveness of a short-term punishment versus a snort-term positive reinforcement contingency system for reducing the frequency of specific inappropriate behaviors of a group of senior elementary students. Students were directly involved in identifying the different types of discipline so that they might help determine the…

Explores views of children in English schools who have received corporal punishment from teachers. Findings indicated that most children accepted firm and non-excessive punishment as an integral part of their relationship with adults. (Author/DB)

The literature review looks at self-injurious behaviors in handicapped students in terms of characteristics, prevalence, etiology (biological, psychological, and as learned behavior), and management including extinction, positive punishment, negative punishment, and reinforcement of other behaviors. Problems in areas of management, administration,…

Academic discipline cases at Auburn and Arizona State have focused attention on special treatment for athletes. In both cases, stiff penalities imposed on athletes by faculty or student-faculty committees were radically cut back by top administrators. (MLW)

The implications of current theories of intrinsic motivation for educational practices for mildly handicapped learners are reviewed. The interaction of classroom demand environments, the effects of teacher reward and punishment, and individual differences in intrinsic motivation are discussed in relation to behavioral effectiveness and to academic…

Patterns of child abuse in Hong Kong are described. Noted are difficulties in distinguishing between normal discipline and child abuse. A survey of 100 university students found that physical punishment was used in 95 percent of homes with 46 percent recalling beatings. Few students approved of such severe discipline, however. (Author/DB)

Behavioral science has contributed many types of interventions for preventing injury to children. Child safety in four areas is reviewed using the following behavioral approaches: (1) rewards and punishments; (2) modeling; (3) prompting and feedback; (4) skills development; and (5) guided practice. Ways to maintain the changed behavior must be…

Section 1983 of the U.S. Constitution provides individuals (including students) with the right to sue persons (including principals) acting "under color of law" for damages incurred in violation of their federal rights. This article examines two corporal punishment cases involving elementary school students involving possible due process…

In this unit of study high school students read and discuss U.S. newspaper articles reporting the trial and execution of the French king Louis XVI. Students look for key words and phrases that might indicate a subtle favorable or unfavorable opinion. (RM)