PEDIATRICS Vol. 98 No. 4 October 1996, pp. 834-836
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cohen, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cohen, P.

How Can Generative Theories of the Effects of Punishment be Tested?

Patricia Cohen PhD1

1 Department of Psychiatry, Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, New York

For a number of us at this conference who have concluded on the basis of the substantial literature1-17 and their own empirical data18,19 that punishment is a serious risk for poor child and adult outcome, the relative sparsity of studies that provide unambiguous evidence of negative effects of spanking specifically, and corporal punishment as compared with noncorporal punishment,20 comes as a shock. (By unambiguous evidence we require longitudinal investigation with appropriate controls for potential confounding variables, particularly the child's behavioral elicitation of the punishment). Dr McCord has provided a series of theoretically coherent reasons why we would expect such negative outcomes. I would like to focus on some of the reasons why research is still needed on this topic.

It is hard, possibly even impossible, to study spanking or corporal punishment without contamination from the other variables with which it is moderately to strongly correlated, particularly the tendency to use punishment more frequently, and to use a greater variety of punishment methods. Current advocates of spanking propose considerable restrictions as to the age of the child and the circumstances, methods, and frequency of use that can be endorsed. Is it likely ever to be possible to determine whether punishment has positive or negative effects when used within these restrictions? It is useful to consider this question within current paradigms for determining the effects of any treatment on a particular problem.

EFFICACY RESEARCH

When determining the efficacy of a given medical, surgical, or other treatment on a disease or other problem, the preferred model is the randomized trial.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 CLIN PEDIATRHome page
M. K. Mau, P. R. Holland, and L. G. Yamamoto
Parenting Book Recommendations for Commonly Encountered Pediatric Issues
Clinical Pediatrics, September 1, 2004; 43(7): 643 - 646.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Fam
Guidance for Effective Discipline
Pediatrics, April 1, 1998; 101(4): 723 - 728.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]