334 Chapter 9 Learning and Conditioning
How can the behavioral and social-cognitive learning
principles covered in this chapter help us think about
the arrest and expulsion of Kiera Wilmot for producing
a small explosion in a science experiment?
Findings on learning do not rule out all use of pun-
ishment when children misbehave. Certainly, when
children or teenagers bring weapons to school or are
chronically violent, authorities cannot simply ignore
the behavior in hopes of extinguishing it; they have
an obligation to protect the other students. But when
severe penalties are imposed for minor infractions, as
in the cases mentioned in our opening story, punish-
ment can make the recipient feel betrayed and angry
at the injustice of it. Social-cognitive theorists remind
us that human beings, including children, bring their
minds to their experiences, and if they perceive a
punishment for breaking a rule as being undeserved
or overly harsh, they may continue to break that rule
as an act of defiance. Undeserved severe punishment
may also bring attention and support from peers, with
the same result—defiance and persistence. The hu-
miliation of being barred from school and hauled off
in handcuffs may destroy a child’s trust in adults and
“the system.”
After her suspension, Kiera was required to at-
tend an alternative school for students with behavior
problems, and her classmates began to make fun of
her. But her story quickly went viral and a petition
of support on Change.org got almost 200,000 sig-
natures. Several scientists came to her defense and
a former astronaut offered Kiera and her twin sister
a scholarship to a space camp. The criminal charges
were dropped—as they are in most cases—and school
district officials decided that she could return to her
regular high school the next semester. Kiera Wilmot’s
story has a happy ending, but she and her family
nonetheless say the experience was hard on them.
What about punishment of children at home?
Some psychologists believe that occasional, moderate
punishment, even spanking, has no long-term detri-
mental outcomes for most middle-class children, so
long as it occurs in an otherwise loving context or as
a last resort (Baumrind, Larzelere, & Cowan, 2002).But, as we saw, punishment does not teach the child
good behavior, and has all the drawbacks listed in
this chapter. And when parents insult, humiliate, or
ridicule a child, the results are often devastating.
Humiliation and shame can last for years.
What, then, should parents and teachers do when
a child’s behavior is seriously disruptive or dangerous?
First, from a learning perspective, other punishments
(time-outs, loss of privileges, and so forth) are pref-
erable to physical punishment, as long as the adult
is consistent (no intermittent reinforcement of bad
behavior!), applies the punishment as soon as pos-
sible after the behavior occurs, and, most important,
remembers to reinforce successive approximations
toward desirable behavior. It is also important to know
why a child is misbehaving: Is the child angry, wor-
ried, or frightened? Parents and teachers can help
children identify their feelings while teaching them
how to control their emotions and find nonaggressive,
constructive ways to resolve conflicts. In this way, the
children can learn that they are being punished not
for feeling angry or upset, but for acting inappropri-
ately or harming others: “It is all right to be upset but
not to hit or bite.”
Finally, a learning theorist would emphasize the
role of the environment in causing or maintaining a
child’s misbehavior. Is the child bored? Does the child
have trouble keeping still in the controlled environ-
ment of a classroom? From a learning perspective, it
may be more effective to change the child’s environ-
ment than the child, for example by instituting more
breaks for physical activities.
Skinner himself never wavered in his determina-
tion to apply learning principles to fashion better,
healthier environments for everyone. In 1990, just
a week before his death, ailing and frail, he ad-
dressed an overflow crowd at the annual meeting of
the American Psychological Association, making the
case one last time for the approach he was convinced
could create a better society. When you see the world
as the learning theorist views it, Skinner was saying,
you see the folly of human behavior, but you also see
the possibility of improving it.PsyChoLogy in the news revisited
306LEARNING AND
CONDITIONING9High School Student Arrested after Science Experiment(^) experiment she performed on the school grounds produced a been BARTOWexpelled , FL, May after 1, 2013.being A arrested Bartow last High week School when student a science has
small dure cleaner she explosion. with saw aluminum on Kiera YouTube. Wifoil lmont, in The a small 16, bottle’mixed s water top some bottle, popped toilet a off proce-bowl and
there taken no property was into some custody damage. smoke, and Nonetheless, charged but no one with Kiera was two injured was felonies: handcuffed and possession there was and
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE NEWS
Classical Conditioning Real Life Classical Conditioning in
Operant Conditioning
Principles of Operant Conditioning Operant Conditioning in
Learning and the Mind Real Life^
Ta^ Psychology in the News, Revisited^ king Psychology^ With
YoMake u: Does Media Violence You Violent?
or a destructive device. discharge Although of the a teenager weapon on is school reportedly grounds a good and student discharge who of is
interested in trouble with the lasaying that it in had robotics an w,obligation and the school district issued a statemenscience to enforce and has its never code before of conduct.beent (^)
Columbine, United In^ the States Colorado, aftermath instituted in of zero-tolerance 1999, a horrific many school schools or other shooting across inflexiblthe in e
drug discipline based abuse arrests policies. and have violence, been These made but policies over for the were relatively years, aimed many minor at reducing school-infrac-
tions, Cub or characteScout without campouts r. A 6-yeartaking into was -old suspended who account was the excited for child’bringing about s age, a going intent, camp-on
ing A An third honor utensil grader student with was a expelled was small expelled fork, because knife, for her carrying and grandmother spoon a nail to clippeschool. sent r.a
birthday grader a friend. was cake A kindergartener charged to school with along battery was with suspended for a throwing knife to for cut a Tousing otsie it. A seventh a finger Pop at
plined (used for menstrual cramps). as a fake for possessing “gun.” Older such students “drugs” have as cough been drops severely or Midol disci-
dents prison^ In 2012, were pipeline” arrested Florida in that the apparently United year, with had States. more the Some largest than 12,000 two-thirds “school-to-stu-of
(^) Zachary Christie, age 6, was briefly suspended for bringing this camp-felony charges for minor violations of “zero-tolerance” school policies. Across the U.S., children have been suspended or even arrested on (^) ing utensil to school. (^) violations, the rests was actually a drop from the 2005 high of 28,000.arrests and being talking for offenses back. The such number as fistfights, of documented dress-code ar-
Taking Psychology With You
Does Media Violence
Make You Violent?
In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned
a California law that banned shops from sell-
ing or renting violent video games to anyone
under 18. California argued that violence is
as obscene as pornography, and if selling or
renting porn to young people is illegal, surely
selling violent video games should be pro-
hibited as well. The court thought otherwise,
ruling that such games are not obscene and
noting that many parents consider them to
be harmless fun. Just look at what happens
to Hansel and Gretel, or Cinderella, said one
of the justices; “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” he
wrote, “are grim indeed.” But other coun-
tries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and