A Comparative Study of Punishment in Buddhist and Western Educational Psychology

Abstract

This paper aims to offer a comparative examination of punishment methods in Buddhist and western education psychology. The Buddhist concept of punishment is more humanistic than punishment in criminology and in western educational psychology. Although the concept ‘punishment’ in western education psychology is somewhat similar to its Buddhist counterpart, I argue there are some lessons that can be taken from Buddhist psychology to direct punishment theories in western psychology towards a more humanistic approach. Most of mental punishments used in western psychology can identify in Buddhist psychology too. Therefore, it can be argued that some punitive methods in western psychology were not newly introduced by western psychologists. When conducting this research, it is expected to do it from critical and analytical perspectives in combination with descriptive and explanatory methods from the study of teachings in Sutta Pitaka and Vinaya pitaka. Furthermore, research works of previous scholars are examined as secondary sources to direct the research paper towards a more critical approach. This research would contribute to the enhancement of the knowledge of teachers, principals, curriculum developers, theory makers and psychologists, at both practical and theoretical level, to use punishment in a proper way and improve the quality of education while children receive and prevent them from dropping out of school.