child condititioning

• Conditioning technique


  Technique used to modify behaviour
• Conditioning techniques


  Have social and ethical implications
• Conditioning techniques may especially benefit vulnerable groups of children
• Frequent use of rewards can lead to a society whereby some individuals are primarily motivated by extrinsic factors
• Conditioning techniques are often used to improve outcomes
• Conditioning techniques at home

  • Can be effective when used consistently and calmly
  • May have unintended emotional effects
• Dedicated parenting is required for conditioning techniques to be effective at home
• Conditioning techniques are unlikely to be as effective when exposed to inconsistent applications
• Some educational approaches believe rewards and punishments advocated by conditioning techniques are harmful to a child's development
• Rewards may create a form of learned helplessness in children
• Reward systems are not evident in schools from different cultures, yet children seem to be internally motivated
• Peer group influences may not always be positive, e.g. children trying smoking due to peer pressure
• The Lovaas method has methodological flaws and is incredibly intensive
• Conditioning techniques only treat symptoms, so undesirable behaviours may re-emerge once reinforcement is removed
• Parents, school, peers and society have an obligation to ensure children develop within the society in which they live
• Conditioning techniques can modify behaviour, but there are important ethical considerations, especially for vulnerable groups of children
• Skinner believed reinforcements should be used to shape behaviour in a desirable direction, but this raises concerns about manipulation and individuality