Perceptions of Physical Punishment

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of diverse childhood and adolescent experiences on adults' perceptions of physical punishment. Subjects judged the appropriateness of scenarios in which the degree to which a child was physically punished and the degree of provocation by the child were systematically varied. The results indicated that appropriateness ratings decreased as the severity of punishment increased, and increased as the degree of child provocation increased. Subjects who reported being more severely disciplined as children rated punishment as more appropriate than those who reported being less severely disciplined, although this was not true of subjects who reported experiencing the most extreme forms of discipline. Subjects were particularly likely to rate punishment as more appropriate if they perceived their harsh disciplinary experiences as deserved. Males perceived punishment as more appropriate than females. Subjects who reported initiating more physical fights at home as children were more likely to perceive punishment as appropriate. Hypotheses relating the effects of observation of violence and nurturant behavior to perceptions of punishment were not supported. The implications of these findings for the cycle of violence and the prevention of child abuse are discussed.