What is psychological punishment?
Asked by: Chanelle Barrows III | Last update: February 1, 2026Score: 4.9/5 (22 votes)
Psychological punishment involves using mental pain, discomfort, or negative emotions like fear, shame, or guilt to control behavior, rather than physical pain, by adding something unpleasant (scolding) or removing something desirable (privileges) to decrease unwanted actions. While sometimes effective short-term, it risks damaging mental health, fostering aggression, or teaching individuals to hide mistakes, with severe forms potentially constituting torture (e.g., prolonged solitary confinement).
What are the 4 types of punishment?
The four main types of punishment in criminal justice are retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation, each serving a different goal: making offenders pay for their crime (retribution), discouraging future crime (deterrence), preventing them from committing more offenses (incapacitation, e.g., prison), or changing their behavior to be law-abiding (rehabilitation).
What are the 4 types of punishment and reinforcement?
Within this framework, also known as operant conditioning, there are four types of reinforcement and punishment; positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
What is the goal of punishment in psychology?
The purpose of punishment is to reduce a behavior, and the degree to which punishment is effective in reducing a targeted behavior is dependent on the relationship between the behavior and a punishment.
What do psychologists say about punishment?
Punishment can breed resentment and lead to increased aggression. In many cases, it's better to provide positive reinforcement for good behavior rather than punishing misbehavior. Parents should model the behavior they wish to see in their child.
Learning: Negative Reinforcement vs. Punishment
What are the two types of punishment in psychology?
An example of positive punishment is scolding a student to get the student to stop texting in class. In this case, a stimulus (the reprimand) is added in order to decrease the behavior (texting in class). In negative punishment, you remove a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.
What is one reason punishment is not usually recommended by psychologists?
PUNISHMENT OFTEN FAILS TO STOP, AND CAN EVEN INCREASE THE OCCURRENCE OF, THE UNDESIRED RESPONSE. attention to the offender, punishing may serve more as a reward than as a punishment.
What are the four R's of punishment?
The "4 R's of Punishment" usually refer to the negative outcomes when using discipline: Resentment, Revenge, Rebellion, and Retreat, which damage relationships and self-esteem, as described by Jane Nelsen in her positive discipline approach. In contrast, positive discipline uses the 4 R's of Logical Consequences: Related, Reasonable, Respectful, and Revealed (or Responsible) to teach, not just punish.
How to discipline a child who won't listen?
To discipline a child who doesn't listen, stay calm, get on their level for eye contact, give clear and simple instructions, and use consistent, logical consequences with positive reinforcement for good behavior, focusing on teaching rather than just punishing, and modeling the listening and respect you expect. Focus on positive actions, use "do-overs," and ensure your words match your actions to build trust and teach self-regulation.
What are the 5 rules of punishment?
There are five main underlying justifications of criminal punishment considered briefly here: retribution; incapacitation; deterrence; rehabilitation and reparation.
What are the 4 pillars of punishment?
Western penological theory and American legal history generally identify four principled bases for criminal punishment: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation.
What is an example of negative punishment in psychology?
Can you identify examples of negative punishment? Losing access to a toy, being grounded, and losing reward tokens are all examples of negative punishment. In each case, something good is being taken away as a result of the individual's undesirable behavior.
Can reinforcement be used on yourself?
Self-reinforcement refers to a process in which individuals reward themselves for achieving specific target goals, often used in conjunction with self-management strategies to enhance behavioral gains and improve skills such as on-task behavior and academic accuracy.
Why does punishment not work in psychology?
Moreover, punishment can isolate children and make them feel badly about themselves, which can itself become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Children may begin to behave in ways that give them negative attention simply because they believe that is the best or only way they can get it.
What is the most effective type of punishment?
Time-outs are often used as a form of punishment. Time-outs are usually effective for reducing the possibility of engaging in a problematic behavior by taking away privileges (or time) that the child enjoys.
How to punish bad people?
Getting Revenge Passively
- Ignore the person. Sometimes, sitting back and doing nothing is the best way to get back at a bully or other tormentor who wants to get a rise out of you. ...
- Get on with your life. ...
- Block the person on social networking. ...
- Don't help the person when they need it.
What is the 9 minute rule in parenting?
The "9-Minute Rule" or "9-Minute Theory" in parenting suggests dedicating focused, distraction-free time during three key 3-minute windows daily: right after waking, right after school/daycare, and right before bed, to build strong parent-child bonds, reduce parental guilt, and foster a child's sense of security and connection, though experts emphasize quality presence and adapting the timing to fit family schedules, as more than 9 minutes is always beneficial.
What are the 3 C's of discipline?
The "3 Cs of Discipline" vary by context, but commonly refer to Clarity, Consistency, and Consequences for parenting/behavior, focusing on clear rules, steady enforcement, and logical outcomes. Other versions include Connection, Communication, and Capability for building skills, or Cooperation, Conflict Resolution, and Civic Values in educational settings.
What is the 7 7 7 rule in parenting?
The 7-7-7 rule of parenting offers two main interpretations: a daily connection strategy and a developmental approach, both aiming to build strong bonds, with the daily version involving 7 minutes in the morning, 7 after school/work, and 7 before bed for focused attention, while the developmental rule suggests phases of playing (0-7), teaching (7-14), and guiding (14-21), emphasizing intentional presence and age-appropriate involvement to raise confident children.
What are the 5 stages of punishment?
Ans. The five punishments given to criminals in India are death penalty, life imprisonment, imprisonment, forfeiture of property, and solitary confinement. Ans. Imprisonment comes under sections 194 and 449 of the INDIAN PENAL CODE.
What are logical consequences for kids?
Logical consequences refer to the actions or responses that are implemented following a child's inappropriate behavior that serve to discourage the child from engaging in the behavior again. Logical consequences are used as an alternative to punishment strategies such as reprimands or scolding.
What are the 5 pillars of positive discipline?
Here are five criteria that summarize positive discipline.
- Mutual Respect. Positive discipline focuses on the principle of treating children with respect, acknowledging their feelings and perspectives. ...
- Teaching, Not Punishing. ...
- Encouraging Problem-Solving. ...
- Consistency. ...
- Connection.
Does taking things away from kids work?
Taking things away (punishment) can stop misbehavior temporarily but is often ineffective long-term, as it doesn't teach new skills, can breed resentment, and focuses on the parent as "mean" rather than the behavior's root cause, though some experts say it works if linked logically to the misbehavior and used as a "pause" not a punitive measure, focusing on positive reinforcement instead. More effective strategies involve teaching skills, natural consequences (like not picking up toys means they get put away), and positive reinforcement to build self-control and understanding.
What happens when you don't discipline your child?
The possibility of physical and psychological injury. Lost opportunity to use the child's misbehaviour to teach them responsibility and self-control. The destruction of the child's sense of fairness and justice. Long-term effects – the child may become withdrawn, fearful or use bullying behaviour.
What to do when discipline doesn't work?
Decide your own actions.
Rather than get into a power struggle with a child, decide your course of action, notify your child, and follow-through. For example: “When your chores are done, I will take you to your friend's house,” or “When your toys are cleaned up we can sit down to dinner.”