Exploring gender differences in the praise and punishment of children

Praise and punishment serve as a framework for children to learn about themselves and their environment (Etaugh & Bridges, 2018). Several studies indicate that praise and punishment can impact a child’s motivation, academic success, and self-perception (Corpus & Lepper, 2007; Karniol & Aida, 1997). The purpose of this research was to examine factors that influence how adults praise and punish children with an emphasis on gender differences and adult language use (Martin & Halverson, 1983; Rudman & Phelan, 2010). Participants were given a vignette depicting a child (male or female) preforming a prosocial behavior or misbehavior. The study found there to be no significant gender differences in how participants praise and punish children. However, results suggest that adult’s gender attitudes may predict how participants praise female children.