Introduction
Motivation is a mental state that inspires an individual to complete a task. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are the two primary types of motivation.
Related- Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation
Today, we will discuss the most significant extrinsic motivation, specifically – Praise and Punishment. praise gives a positive result while punishment shows negative effect on the children.
But is it true that praise and punishment can’t be used together to encourage learning?
No! We can use both in the same class by making balance between praise and punishment. Punishment is not always negative and praise not gives always positive results. But, both may have different impact on the learning.
Many renowned psychologists have conducted research and experiments to emphasize the importance of praise and punishment in motivating individuals.
Studies by Thorndike (1935):
To know the impact of praise and punishment he combined three groups of children:
1. Punishment for making mistakes (learning process)
2. Verbal reward for correct response
3. Financial reward for correct response
The third group learned the subject faster than the others. Whereas the group that received punishment had the slowest learning rate.
Thompson’s experiment (Thompson-1988)
He divided 40 children on the basis of their age, intelligence, sex and education into two groups,
- experimental group of 20 children
- controlled group of 20 children
Task:- learn a list of words in 10 minutes with a $3 prize for each word.
Results: – 19 out of 20 children in the experimental group were successful, while only 3 children in the control group were successful. This makes it clear that rewards are a powerful incentive.
Demerits of the award :–
(1) The level of rewards may be increased from time to time.
(2) The main objective of the students becomes only to get prizes, not education.
Nowadays the main (primary) objective of the students has become only to get high marks. For this, the students do not hesitate to adopt illegal methods.
That’s the reason, the Humayun Kabir Committee appointed by the Indian government has recommended the abolition of categories (good, bad) in Indian education. [1]
Reilly and Lewis have emphasized on the creative nature of rewards. The following suggestions have been given to make rewards creative in teaching:
1. Students should be rewarded only when they participate in teaching.
2. There should be no reward for the simplest task.
3. The reward must be instantaneous.
4. The award should be given for specific work.
5. The level of learning performance for rewards should be clear.
Positive effects of punishment in education:
Here are some positive effects of punishment:
1. Punishment teaches respect for authorities two students.
2. Prevents unwanted reactions of students.
3. Punishment forces people to do things that students normally do not want to do.
4. Teaches to concentrate on the subject.
5. Teaches to understand and remember the subject.
Simpson has made it clear through his study that if a group is threatened with punishment for doing a task, then their performance is 40% lower than others.
Negative effects of punishment:
1. Hatred among students towards officers and teachers.
2. Sometimes the emotionality of students becomes so high that teaching becomes impossible.
3. By punishment, students learn the subject only to get relief; not by showing interest in the subject.
4. Punishment increases stress, anxiety, and fatigue among students.
5. Punishment breaks the morale of students.
Thorndike’s suggestions regarding punishment:
Thorndike has described some methods by which teachers can prevent the ill effects of punishment and can make punishment a positive reinforcer:
Before giving punishment, the teacher must be sure whether the student’s behavior deserves punishment?
Instead of teaching students to suppress their bad tendencies, the teacher should encourage good tendencies.
The punishment to be given by the teacher in different situations should be announced in advance.
Reproof, Praise and Punishment:
Praise and criticism are important verbal stimuli that greatly influence education and teaching.
According to Skinner, verbal positive reward is called praise, and verbal negative reward is called censure. Both Praise and punishment should be used in the class.
Punishment is not physical.
Use of Hurlock:
106 children were divided into four groups based on their intelligence and arithmetic ability.
Task:- Each group was given some arithmetic exercises for 15 minutes every day for 5 days.
Group A (Control) received no comments on performance from the teacher.
Group B received praise from the teacher for every task.
Group C faced condemnation from the teacher.
Group D was neglected.
Result: After analyzing the data obtained from the experiment, it was found that the performance of the praised group was the best, and the performance of the condemned group was the worst.
Average Score
Days : 1 2 3 4 5
Praised : 20 18 16 14 12
Ignored : 18 16 14 12 10
Reproved : 14 12 10 8 6
Controlled : 16 14 12 10 8
Result:- The analysis also revealed that the performance of girls in the praised group was better than that of boys, whereas the performance of boys in the condemned group was better than that of girls.
Praise increases the performance of all types of students.
Praise has a positive effect, whereas condemnation has an unfavorable effect.
Effects of punishment and praise
The effect of praise and condemnation is also determined by the relationship between the teacher and the student.
The condemnation and reprimand of the teacher whom the students like does not have an adverse effect on teaching.
Praising a teacher whom students do not like does not have a positive effect on his teaching.
The teaching of students can be improved by praising the introvert and criticizing the extrovert students.
Motivational factors:
1. Knowledge of progress and results helps students track their growth.
2. Rivalry, competition, and cooperation foster a productive learning environment.
3. Goal-setting behavior encourages students to strive for excellence.
4. Social approval serves as a powerful incentive for students.
Importance of motivation in learning:
1. Motivation brings about positive changes in child behavior.
2. It plays a significant role in character building and development.
3. Motivation helps students concentrate and focus on their studies.
4. It supports mental development and cognitive growth.
5. Motivation develops interest in children and makes learning enjoyable.
6. It fosters discipline, morality, and a sense of responsibility.
7. Progress is possible based on individual differences and unique strengths.
Methods of motivation:
1. Create a genuine need for learning in students by making it relevant.
2. Align students’ aspiration levels with their abilities and strengths.
3. Tailor subjects and teaching methods to students’ abilities and interests.
4. Foster rivalry and competition in a healthy and constructive manner.
5. Utilize rewards, praise, and recognition to encourage students.
6. Provide regular progress updates and constructive feedback.
7. Maintain optimal anxiety levels to avoid overwhelming students.
8. Use both and maintain balance between praise and punishment to boost the learning.
Explore More:-
The Psychology of Learning: 5 Key Factors Influncing Learning
Jean Piaget Classified Cognitive Development Theory – Four Stages
Baddeley’s model of working memory
Discover more from Educational Psyche
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