Educating a child is not an easy task and there are many possible ways to go to reach a successful conclusion. Sometimes there are more obstacles, others less, the important thing is to correct possible errors and give our best. Nothing better than knowing what psychology has contributed to education, then we will know what options we have. ¿Negative reinforcement can be used for parenting?
Different psychological schools have different views on the negative reinforcement in children's education. Knowing the different edges about negative reinforcement is important to know what we are talking about and if it matches our style of being and doing as parents.
What is negative reinforcement?
El negative reinforcement It was born from behavioral psychology, whose main reference is Burrhus Skinner, who throughout life studied behavior based on different conditions. That is, how behavior can change according to certain conditions.
Skinner distinguished three types of instrumental learning. On the one hand, positive reinforcement, that is, a behavior that is rewarded, then the omission, a response that is associated with the absence of reward. Finally, there is the negative reinforcement, that is to say the punishment. Punishment is nothing other than the appearance of an aversive stimulus after a certain behavior. Well then, there are positive reinforcements and negative reinforcement, depending on the type of behavior.
¿Negative reinforcement can be used for parenting? Of course, as long as one is willing to use this type of education that, for many currents, has become obsolete. The most current trends insist on positive reinforcement, considering that the reward or the association between a behavior and a reward or positive stimulus are more effective in educating and setting guidelines. Not to mention that they also install a climate of love and support that complements education.
Negative reinforcement under the magnifying glass
El negative reinforcement for parenting It is associated with punishments and unpleasant scenarios, while positive reinforcement adds a loving atmosphere, although no less strict for that. Rewarding a child with a congratulation or a pleasant comment in front of a good attitude is of great importance for the development of a child, to set healthy limits without damaging self-esteem.
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In the case of negative reinforcement with children, the classic punishment appears, that is, the appearance of something unpleasant for the child to mark a limit or teach him that he has done something inappropriate. Also as a consequence of a bad action or conduct. In this scenario, scolding, prohibitions or so-called "corners of punishment" appear.
Behaviorism in early childhood education
If they give good results? It will depend on the style of motherhood / fatherhood that you want to exercise. There are parents who consider that children only understand limits when faced with negative reinforcement, while others consider that limits are positive reinforcement in early childhood education they are more effective. The main reason is because when they are rewarded with praise and other questions, children tend to repeat the action for which they have been recognized. In the case of negative reinforcement, the behavior is performed only by fear of consequence.
Among the most used negative reinforcements today are time out and response cost. The results will depend on the application context. It is common for both positive and negative reinforcement to be applied together. Regardless of whether it is one or the other, the most critical currents insist that if applied, it must be done consistently and proportionally to the behavior.
Even so, it must be considered that the change in attitude is more related to the fear of punishment than to the learning associated with the global understanding of a situation. Depending on the case, it can even lead to a feeling of control or the child's self-esteem can be affected. For this reason, it is important to be careful and aware when applying the negative reinforcement for children's education.