Do children learn that they have choices when they are punished for making the wrong ones? No, and here’s why. I’ve been told by several people recently that immediate punishment with no excuses (e.g being sent to isolation) shows children they have choices. Their logic, it seems, is that they learn that they could choose to avoid isolation by behaving differently. This way of seeing child behaviour - as a matter of conscious choice - is not based in developmental cognitive science or psychology. There is no evidence that the reason why children behave so differently to each other is because they simply make conscious choices to do so. Behaviour is both a reaction to the environment and a communication, although often not an intentional one. Different people react in different ways to the world. Young people are developing the skills of self monitoring and inhibitory control, right up to the age of 25. They develop this at different rates - and this isn’t a choice. No one gets to choose how quickly their brains mature. Their ability to control their behaviour is variable - at any particular age for some their behaviour might be a choice, for others it isn’t. Immediate punishment with no excuses does not help children learn that they have choices. It shows them that they have no choices except compliance. It’s a method of control, nothing more or less, and no one should pretend that it’s helping those young people learn how to behave. You don’t learn self control through being controlled.
@naomicfisher See: children are not dogs or pigeons.
@naomicfisher You don’t learn self control by not being corrected by the environment. Every species on earth pays a price for their wrong choices as youngsters; that’s how they learn.
Yes I get that, on the other hand of course we can demonstrate to children using-play learning for the very young, that the things we do often lead to consequences, learning this early can build into people's minds that as individuals, we need to consider carefully what we do think and say.
Totally agree and I teach high school- the lack of age appropriate maturity is alarming and worsening every year. While isolation ( detention and suspension) are now seen as nothing burgers to these kids- much larger systemic cultural issue- student agency can be shaped young by giving and expecting students be held accountable for their environment- Japan does a good job at this by incorporating grade appropriate responsibility. Larger issue is people are convinced education is a right not a privilege-that’s the fatal flaw in the system
@naomicfisher You don't learn self control by being controlled. You don't address coercive control victimisation in contexts of domestic abuse by subjecting the victim to more control. When will systems learn?
@naomicfisher If the parents don’t set firm boundaries with extremely strict discipline from toddler age it’s not surprising the rude inconsiderate selfish nasty often bullying children ruin the opportunities for children who are well behaved. Under the umbrella of autism they run riot 😡
@naomicfisher All behaviour is communication. What did they need would be more help than ‘ why did you do that?’ followed by punishment.
@naomicfisher The most sense I've heard for a long time. I worry about the amount of control There is in the world of children and beginning to spread into adulthood.
@naomicfisher Where did this theory of immediate isolation as a punishment originate? What irresponsible university research or YouTube influencer I wonder?