Introductory Psychology Writing Assignment
Praise
Praising a child is what adults do en route for reinforcing a behavior the adult wants that child to continue doing. Operant conditioning is when one behaves a certain way and then is reinforced or punished for their actions. Praise is a form of positive reinforcement, when introducing an incentive that will likely increase or maintain a desired result. People are split as to whether or not praise is helpful to a child’s development. Some believe Praise inhibits motive and increases the child’s uncertainty in their own abilities. On the other hand, there are people who believe praise is a useful tool for adults to teach children how to behave in modern society.
Alfie Kohn wrote an article titled “Five Reasons to Stop Saying ‘Good Job.’” In this article he states his beliefs about praise and how it is not a beneficial tool. Kohn feels that praise is in fact hurting today’s children. He explains his five reasons on why praise should not be used(Kohn, 2001).
Kohn’s first reason is that praise is used to manipulate the children. Kohn says that praise is “sugar-coated control” (Kohn, 110, 2001) adults use to pressure their child into good behavior. Kohn’s second reason is that praising children creates “praise junkies” (Kohn, 111, 2001). He believes that the child will no longer perform an activity for the proper reasons, instead of doing a difficult task to be able to say that they could their motives altered to only desire the
Each person is a social being and is aware of the environment that they live in. People learn from their experiences as well as from observing others. When children learn about their environment first hand or by observing another, negative and positive behaviors are reinforcement. If a child does a behavior and receives a reward for that behavior, the rewarded behavior is reinforced. Similarly, when someone witnesses negative consequences based on their behavior, they tend to modify that behavior (Schmied & Tully, 2009, p. 9).
This encourages the child to continue the positive behaviour and they will be rewarded with positive attention and something for example as a toy or treat.
Reinforcement is an essential part in identifying and encouraging a certain behavior. In the most classic definition, positive reinforcement is a method of identifying to children which behaviors are acceptable and appropriate and which are not (Sigler, E. & Aamidor, S, 2005). Reinforcement is often given as praise for doing a certain task. As educators, saying “great job” or a simple word like “fantastic” are expressed towards students as praise. However, when a student is struggling and praise is given such as “you are doing so well”, the negative aspects of praise present themselves. The child is aware of the empty praise therefore it may work against the teacher if it is taken as a false
Giving children lots of praise to help them learn positive behaviour we also give out stickers to encourage repeated good behaviour.
For this to be most effective, it is important that children understand why praise is given. And that the praise is given when the child has done something right like sharing.
Praise given needs to be uplifting and confidence boosting because the child will be more motivated to try harder and do better.In the article “Motivating children” by Leah Davis explains, “Provide a caring, supportive environment where children are respected and feel a sense of belonging”(Leah Davis). The author is trying to say that parents praise should make the child feel good about themselves. When a child feels encouraged then they will be motivated to do better. Praise needs to make a child want to do better and grow from mistakes. Other people think that the more praise the better. They think it is better to give more praise because it makes the parent feel good about them selve and the child will be motivated. In the paragraph Help Kids Feel Good About Themselves states, “Kids who feel good about themselves are less likely to be pressured into doing things they don’t want to do”(Diane Ryles). Kids need to feel good about themselves in order to do well and work hard. Children need to be motivated so when they get to the top they continue to work just as hard. Parents need to make themselves make sense so the child will understand. Another way of thinking about this is that kids need to be given a good mindset. Some people think that kids need to have a good mindset to improve at anything. When a child has a growth mindset they are more likely to
Specific Praise. Specific praise includes verbal or written statements to a student that recognize a desired or correct behavior. Praise can function as a tool for instruction and for increasing social and academic behaviors. To be effective, the student must view the attention provided through praise as pleasurable or motivational (Curran, 2017). Specific praise promoted more on‐task behavior than positive praise and significantly increased academic self‐concept (Bizo, 2004). Offering specific praise will help Sam because it sends a message that the teacher is aware of the effort he is putting into staying on task. As time goes on, Sam will desire the teacher’s positive statements. He understands that the statements are the result of him remaining on task and reaching his six-week goal. Sam will also develop an understanding of how to meet the teacher’s expectation. In the end, Sam will mature and advance in his academics. As he matures, the need for constant specific praise will become unnecessary. The added benefit of specific praise is to the teacher. The high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion while attempting to teach in the classroom with Sam will diminish as he progresses.
B.F. Skinners theory of operant conditioning is probably the most commonly used theory in practice in early years settings. Skinner suggested that people draw conclusions based on the consequences of their behaviour when exploring the environment. He divided the consequences into three areas. The first area being positive reinforcers where people are likely to get something they desire if they repeat a certain behaviour. He suggested that this was the most effective way to encourage new learning. This can be seen in early years settings where by children are rewarded for good behaviour this lots of praise, attention, stickers or treats. This will help children to carry on showing good behaviour until such a time when it is learned. Second is negative reinforcers which are used to stop something from happening but the behaviour is also likely to repeated. Just like when a child is going down a slide but doesn’t like going fast so they use their hands on the sides to slow themselves down. The third is punishers, which is a behaviour that you learn to stop doing e.g. if you receive a shock from an electric fence then you learn to stay away from it.
Descriptive praise also comments on what the child has done wrong. Although this may appear to decrease a child’s self-esteem and confidence, in reality it allows them to reflect upon their mistakes, pushing themselves further in order to be appreciated. Without recognition a child feels the need to work towards the incomplete task in order to receive praise, encouraging themselves eventually increasing self-confidence after being praised. Gradually children will become aware of the expectations that are expected of them, comprehending that they have the ability to achieve great heights when they are determined. This motivation allows children to approach situations in the future with a positive attitude as they will take on any task with the mindset to complete it to the best of their ability allowing for success. Certain words of encouragement such as “you're not complaining about the food” or “you tasted the peas. That was brave” can influence a child’s behavior positively. This form of communication is not only a way for parents to motivate them, but also a way for them to realize on their own the various expectations parents have for children; thus better understanding their view on situations. As children are constantly praised for the same things they feel the need to go above and beyond what is expected of them portraying to both themselves and parents that they are aware of expectations. Once children are aware of
Although praise is one of many forms of positive reinforcement, it is by no means the only or even the best choice when working with young children. Educators often use praise interchangeably with positive reinforcement when indeed an important distinction must be made between the two (Strain & Joseph, 2004). Consistency is very important when interacting with a child. One must stick to the rules once they’ve been made, and don't allow the child to do something one day and then not let them do it the next. Don't confuse a child with unimportant decisions, and remember that it's often necessary to tell a child something more than one time. Speak clearly, and make sure that what you've said is understood. Above all, always maintain a positive attitude, because it's a sure bet that they will be imitating you.
“‘Conditioning’ simply means learning, and the term ‘operant’ refers to something that acts upon something else. Operant conditioning, then, is a form of testing in which an animal learns that a response, such as pressing a lever, results in a consequence, such as a food pellet being delivered to the animal (Pritchett & Mulder, 2004).” In operant conditioning, there are two categories: reinforcement and punishment. Both can be utilized using either positive or negative strategies. In reinforcement tactics, the behavior is attempted to be increased. A positive example of this would be praising a child if they say something that resembles mama or dada for their first words. A negative example would be the parents not responding or even chiding the child for mumbling or not being very coherent. Each action is strengthened by the parents reinforcement of praise when saying the correct words or their disregard when the child does not sound coherent. In the positive example, praise is being offered so the child is receiving something, therefore making the reinforcement positive. When the parents ignore the wrong words that the child speaks, we describe
This paper will discuss the effects of praise on reducing disruptive behavior over a period of time. There is a clear behavior that is needing change, disruptive behavior, and we can change this behavior by implementing praise. The participant is a single subject whom is in the 2nd grade. We will examine whether praise can help reduce the disruptive behavior or if we will have to find another intervention to help reduce this disruptive behavior that is being displayed in the classroom.
Operant Conditioning Theory by B.F. Skinner is a psychological manipulation using rewards and punishments to enforce positive behavior. It uses an individual person’s response to events or stimulus. When a particular Stimulus-Response pattern is rewarded, the individual is conditioned to respond. The distinctive characteristic of operant conditioning is related to previous forms of behaviorism. The Operant Conditioning theory comprises of neutral operants, positive/negative reinforcers, and positive/negative punishers. Through these factors, we get the desired behavior of our subject because they do not want to be punished for under performing so they do what they’re told to or do more of what they were assigned to to receive positive stimulus
Skinner’s reinforcement experiments conducted on rats showed the principles of operant conditioning. While working with rats, Skinner would place them in a Skinner box with a lever attached to a feeding tube. After multiple trials, rats learned the connection between the lever and food, and started to spend more time in the box procuring food than performing any other action. He used positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement to produce or inhibit specific target behaviors. Therefore, if a specific behavior is reinforced then the probability of that behavior occurring again is increased. Based on Skinner’s view, this theory can be applied to learning because learning is nothing more than a change in behavior. Operant conditioning encourages positive reinforcement, which can be applied in the classroom environment to get the good behavior you want and need from students. One of the ways of reinforcing a student’s behavior is through praise. Also teachers can build operant conditioning techniques into their lesson plans to teach children possible skills as well as good behaviors. For example: to give a smiley face, or motivational stamps to encourage children to perform correctly and encourage them to repeat such action again.
Skinner’s positive reinforcement starts by promoting good behavior in the classroom through the promise of a reward. Skinner created a rewards system that is said to help shape human behavior in a