Punishments

Law looks at punishments with a purpose. Social ‘order’.
The question came from a “professional” in psychology.
Let us see, how well my answer fares (the unconventional, non-professional, that I am)!
It would be nice, to get your feedbacks as well.
(Oh! Self-restraint, from elaboration, in itself this time, feels like some ‘self-imposed’ punishment to me. Do I deserve some reward for this?)
Regards,
Psn(12th June, 2010)
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100611180651AATOg1l&r=w#NbUvWzq9WThW9GWqYeRc

Behavior, Punishment, and Reward?
Briefly, Operant learning is characterized by punishing a person (usually a child) when he performs an unwanted behavior and rewarding him when he does an encouraged behavior. Rewards could consist of positive reinforcements (addition of something nice) and negative reinforcements (removal of something bad) while punishments could be positive (addition of something horrible) and negative (removal of something nice) similarly. The issue I'm pondering over is the following: What are suitable forms of punishments and rewards? The reward/punishment has to be equally as powerful as the behavior. I'm not a fan of spanking, but what do you think about it? Is it the only solution for extremely unwanted behaviors? Last but not least, what are some methods to utilize Operant Learning on adults? Surely i can't go on spanking them every time they do a wrong deed.Please think for a moment before answering, and try to elaborate as much as possible (but don't make huge essays). I, myself, am a student of Industrial Psychology, so if there is any scientific data on this subject please make sure to post it,and if you're a fellow psychologist don't hinder yourself from using technical terms. If you're not a psychologist then your answer is welcomed as well but please make sure to think well about the subject as i have already pondered over it extensively.

My answer:
Basically, the very theory of punishment is well contemplated in law(compensatory, exemplary, deterrent, preventive etc), rather than psychology. Yet, law does not neglect the aspect of reformation. That is done either in a prison, or by the local police station incharge, who has to keep a 'tab' on the offender.

So, punishment is rather a 'quick-fix' solution, out of urgency for some social order, when other priorities do not seem to afford us the leisure to reform a person, and then have the luxury of such 'now-reformed-person's' proximity.

At homes, 'punishing' a child, we do find, is a very common feature. Yet, psychologically, it happens to be a 'copy & paste' action by the parents who are the 'fabric' of the very same society that has framed laws, and it is the punishment of law, that gets noticed too often amongst all other 'news'.

For evidence, please see, traditionally, it is the punishments of a society that is looked at, as a barometer or 'yardstick' to measure 'how well evolved ' a culture or a society is! (Even in some 'well-knit' organisations, employees who 'happen' to glance at 'punitive' clauses find it amusing that they were never even looked at for a long time, leave alone invoking it! The 'HR' does the trick!)

This 'positive/negative' reinforcements, rewards(negative/positive) seems to appear somewhat 'insufficient, and not a long term solution' , is simply because, we are dealing with the situation only with a logical approach, and in pure materialistic aspect, and in commercial terms (barter-system, give and take). We are unable to even remotely 'touch' the intuitive aspect, the human emotions in a positive way (instead, we may end up 'hardening' or 'freezing' the relationship-distance between humans! Psychology is perhaps the only branch available, as a great hope, to 'bridge' the gap of scientific approach, and the emotional human approach. In isolation, emotions, sentiments, etc seem to always defy logic. And science doesn't ever tolerate negation of logic.
..

(A story, made as brief as 'my' language permits, to demonstrate 'punishment' theory: A King, his minister, and his charioteer, had a son each, and the sons were friends. Together committed a crime, punishable under law. King delegated adjudication to minister, who gave different punishments to each, for the very same crime. It was challenged by people, invoking partisan 'behaviour' clause. The king asked minister to 'explain' differential treatment. Minister requested a months time. But people didn't have to wait. They got the wonderful explanation, it got manifested by itself. The king's son, who was given a casual warning, unable to bear the insult committed suicide. The minister's own son, asked to remain confined on a chair for the entire day, felt almost as bad, and left the kingdom, became a mendicant, on a spiritual path. The charioteer's son, imprisoned for a week with hundred lashes each day, saw that it was quite bearable, and repeated the crime, soon after release!)