January 2009
Carrot or Stick!?
01/29/09 Filed in: how to study
In the last couple of weeks at English Now! we’ve been having a “No Japanese” campaign where adult students are fined 100 yen each time they use Japanese. In contrast, from February, we’ll start rewarding our child students for every class they can complete without using any Japanese. The former case amounts to punishment––the stick––while the latter offers a reward––a carrot.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the “carrot-or-stick” expression, it refers to motivating a stubborn donkey to walk forward by either offering a carrot in front of him or threatening him with a swat on the behind with a stick. One can find success with either method, but which is more effective long-term and short-term––and why are we using both at English Now!?
Behavioral psychologists would refer to the carrot as positive reinforcement, while the stick would be negative. A professional animal trainer––especially of wild animals––would emphasize that only positive reinforcement is successful long-term.
For example, a dog––perhaps due to his domestication––will change his behavior as a response to being struck, but he won’t progress as far in his training as a positively reinforced dog; and if he is a larger breed, he may challenge the authority of his master as he grows in size and strength. On the other hand, a dolphin or wolf will not respond at all to negative reinforcement: it’ll simply swim or run away and not return.
So why do people insist on trying to modify the behavior of others through punishment, that is, negative reinforcement. Your partner constantly leaves his dirty clothes on the floor and you respond with dirty looks and angry comments. It often doesn’t work, and even when it seems to it breeds anger and resentment in return.
The professional trainer would emphasize that any small effort made in the correct direction should be clearly and immediately rewarded. Over time, the animal (spouse?) will gradually modify his behavior––maybe even unconsciously––in the direction desired and be happy to do so. Win-win––and no hard feelings.
We’ve found that our child students respond very well to such positive reinforcement: they are eager for rewards, enjoy the competition and, ultimately, seem eager to please the teacher and have their efforts clearly recognized. From this perspective, they may be considered innocent and unspoiled. On the other hand, negative reinforcement seems to kill their naturally positive desire to learn: their eyes grow dull.
So...why punish the adults? Sad to say, after years of conditioning by a society emphasizing negative reinforcement, they seem to respond to it, that is, they modify their behavior in the desired direction. In our classes, most students have been diligently avoiding speaking Japanese––much more so than usual.
However, let me point out that, while we do indeed fine the students for using Japanese––even small expressions like じゃない and え〜と––we remain cheerful and humorous. Indeed, the teachers themselves have probably paid more 100-yen fines than any one student.
So how can we apply all this to our own self-study of English?
Well, after clearly setting your measurable short, mid- and long-term goals and a timeline (more on this another day), motivate yourself with both reward and punishment. What constitutes both depends on whatever brings you pleasure or displeasure.
Reward yourself with a day at the spa, or a dinner at a great restaurant you rarely get to go to, or a new gadget. Punish yourself by prohibiting desserts, or not using your car for a week, or finally scrubbing down the bath to get rid of ALL of that black and green fungus you somehow never get around to removing. Whatever rocks your boat.
When we were kids, we were under pressure to study and score well. There were tests to take and grades to achieve. Now that we’ve grown up, most of us don’t have a threatening monster of a physical education teacher standing behind us forcing us to crank out more push-ups––scary life-partners notwithstanding! As adults, we have to take responsibility for our own motivation.
So whether your goal is a higher TOIEC score, or really understanding your favorite movie in its original English, or successfully completing a 20-minute presentation in English at a conference, clearly reward your achievement––or punish your failure. Let’s face it: in the former case, you succeeded because you realistically put in the necessary time and effort to get the job done––nothing comes for free. You deserve your reward. Take it. In the latter case, more likely than not, you failed to put in the necessary time and effort: this was your choice and you must take the consequences. Then re-evaluate your goals and schedule.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the “carrot-or-stick” expression, it refers to motivating a stubborn donkey to walk forward by either offering a carrot in front of him or threatening him with a swat on the behind with a stick. One can find success with either method, but which is more effective long-term and short-term––and why are we using both at English Now!?
Behavioral psychologists would refer to the carrot as positive reinforcement, while the stick would be negative. A professional animal trainer––especially of wild animals––would emphasize that only positive reinforcement is successful long-term.
For example, a dog––perhaps due to his domestication––will change his behavior as a response to being struck, but he won’t progress as far in his training as a positively reinforced dog; and if he is a larger breed, he may challenge the authority of his master as he grows in size and strength. On the other hand, a dolphin or wolf will not respond at all to negative reinforcement: it’ll simply swim or run away and not return.
So why do people insist on trying to modify the behavior of others through punishment, that is, negative reinforcement. Your partner constantly leaves his dirty clothes on the floor and you respond with dirty looks and angry comments. It often doesn’t work, and even when it seems to it breeds anger and resentment in return.
The professional trainer would emphasize that any small effort made in the correct direction should be clearly and immediately rewarded. Over time, the animal (spouse?) will gradually modify his behavior––maybe even unconsciously––in the direction desired and be happy to do so. Win-win––and no hard feelings.
We’ve found that our child students respond very well to such positive reinforcement: they are eager for rewards, enjoy the competition and, ultimately, seem eager to please the teacher and have their efforts clearly recognized. From this perspective, they may be considered innocent and unspoiled. On the other hand, negative reinforcement seems to kill their naturally positive desire to learn: their eyes grow dull.
So...why punish the adults? Sad to say, after years of conditioning by a society emphasizing negative reinforcement, they seem to respond to it, that is, they modify their behavior in the desired direction. In our classes, most students have been diligently avoiding speaking Japanese––much more so than usual.
However, let me point out that, while we do indeed fine the students for using Japanese––even small expressions like じゃない and え〜と––we remain cheerful and humorous. Indeed, the teachers themselves have probably paid more 100-yen fines than any one student.
So how can we apply all this to our own self-study of English?
Well, after clearly setting your measurable short, mid- and long-term goals and a timeline (more on this another day), motivate yourself with both reward and punishment. What constitutes both depends on whatever brings you pleasure or displeasure.
Reward yourself with a day at the spa, or a dinner at a great restaurant you rarely get to go to, or a new gadget. Punish yourself by prohibiting desserts, or not using your car for a week, or finally scrubbing down the bath to get rid of ALL of that black and green fungus you somehow never get around to removing. Whatever rocks your boat.
When we were kids, we were under pressure to study and score well. There were tests to take and grades to achieve. Now that we’ve grown up, most of us don’t have a threatening monster of a physical education teacher standing behind us forcing us to crank out more push-ups––scary life-partners notwithstanding! As adults, we have to take responsibility for our own motivation.
So whether your goal is a higher TOIEC score, or really understanding your favorite movie in its original English, or successfully completing a 20-minute presentation in English at a conference, clearly reward your achievement––or punish your failure. Let’s face it: in the former case, you succeeded because you realistically put in the necessary time and effort to get the job done––nothing comes for free. You deserve your reward. Take it. In the latter case, more likely than not, you failed to put in the necessary time and effort: this was your choice and you must take the consequences. Then re-evaluate your goals and schedule.