Running head: The Long-Term Effects of Spanking KILMER1

The Long-Term Effects of Spanking
Don Juan C. Kilmer
Front Range Community College
PYSCH 101
Janet Weidert

February 16,2012

The Long term Effects of Spanking KILMER2 The Long-Term Effects of Spanking

Does spanking create a troublesome child down the road? A new study that was produced by Tulane University, which was discussed in Times Magazine by Alice Park, proposes evidence that answers the question of whether or not spanking has a positive correlation on behavior as the child matures. The study examined the type of discipline 2,500 three year-olds were receiving till they were five years of age. After examining those children for two years, Catherine Taylor, researcher behind behavioral aggression, claims that if a child is spanked at age three they will have 50 percent more of a chance of being aggressive at the age of five. However, Alice Park had not included any control group and experimental group, nor did she provide such evidence that shows the use of spanking increases aggressive behavior and finally there was no set definition of what constitutes “aggression” among the five year olds. Throughout the article, Long-term Effect of Spanking, Ms. Parks did not represent two groups that were being manipulated, children that were being spanked and children that did not receive spanking when acting out. By including the total population of children, the researchers did not state how many children were receiving spanking as a discipline versus other methods. Within the study, other methods were not included when the mothers were being asked what type of discipline they were use during the two years of the study. The different types of discipline will have distinctive affects on a child’s behavior which these researchers did not include within the study, not all discipline will inflict aggressive behavior it
The Long term Effects of Spanking KILMER3

may include depression and fear of their parental unit. This study is an example of a hindsight bias (Hockenbury D & Hockenbury S ,2011). There was no separation of a control and experimental group, the researcher searched for children that were being spanked as a form of discipline. In order to show a correlation between spanking and aggressive behavior among the five year olds, there must be concrete evidence. There are many other variables that play in a child’s behavior tendencies other than the four listed; such as depression, spousal abuse, alcohol and drug abuse. Within the study, the researchers did not include the father’s role in discipline which may alter the child’s behavior too. According to the Erikson theory of observational learning (Erikson,E.H 1968), the child might be learning such aggressive behavior from media and educational settings such as daycare setting and the attendance in school. These variables were not accounted for in the study. To create a positive