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A Theoretical Exploration on the Conversion from Punishment to Reinforcement

Author: XianHongBin
Tutor: MaHeMin
School: East China Normal University
Course: Principles of Education
Keywords: educational punishment theory of reinforcement positive reinforcement negative Reinforcement educational behaviour
CLC: G40-01
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 344
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Abstract

Punishment, as one way of education, had been employed in education when education came into being. Its legitimacy and effect are increasingly questioned as the social civilization goes forward. Criticisms prevail from all over; meanwhile, some scholars hold the opposite view that punishment is irreplaceable in education. Both advocators and opponents can not prove the opposites are wrong. Therefore, the debate has become more and more intense. The theory of reinforcement is an important component of behavioral psychology. Skinner has made a conceptual distinguish between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, and put up the view that the produce, maintain and disappear of behaviour could be determined by controlling stimulus following them. However, Skinner’s reinforcement theory, esp. the theory concerning negative reinforcement, have not been totally understood, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings and misuses in both academic research and practical application.This thesis, by means of document analysis, interviews and speculative logic, proves that punishment’s aim of evacuating misbehaviors and maintaining the established order, contradicts the diversification education’s goal of children’s all-round development; reinforcement, as a behavior changing technique, could better achieve the goal of education. Different forms and degrees of punishment can not alter its nature. Therefore, punishment should be replaced by reinforcement in education.This research could be specified in the following points:Firstly, the problem in punishment lies in that it does not serve the goal of education:punishment brings pains to persons who make mistakes, and prevents the repetition similar behaviors. Its nature is suppressing behaviors by means of bringing pains. However, the goal of contemporary education is to encourage an all-round development, and "suppressing" can not serve the goal.Secondly, the controversy of punishment lies in the replacement. Both the advocators and opponents try to explore punishment’s effect from the perspective of education, which is whether it is beneficial to all-round development.Punishment which is regained by those opponents has changed in nature.Thirdly, reinforcement’s replacement of punishment is the inherent requirement of education. Views on punishment’s role in education evolves as follows:from absolute approval at the beginning, to questioning punishment’s effect in evacuating misbehaviors, to correct actions by their natural consequences, and finally to replacing punishment by encouraging all-round development.Finally, there are also limitations in reinforcement, which need further researches and exploration on it.

A Theoretical Exploration on the Conversion from Punishment to Reinforcement

Abstract

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