Why is there an illusion that punishment works? Experimental analysis from the perspective of relational learning

• Project/Area Number: 26380993
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Kindai University (2019); Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (2014-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Urushihara Kouji 近畿大学, 総合社会学部, 教授 (00342197)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
• Keywords: 罰 / 報酬 / 平均への回帰 / しつけ / 教育 / 行動分析 / 関係性学習 / 連合学習 / 行動変容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previous studies have revealed that punishing inappropriate behavior is not very effective to improve one's behavior.Nevertheless, in daily discipline and education, punishment such as scolding and corporal punishment are still frequently used.Behind this seemingly contradictory situation, it may be that people share a false belief that punishment is effective much more than it actually is. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of an illusion, or a false belief concerning punishment, through experimental method. As the result, it turned out that the illusion of the effectiveness punishment has much to do with a phenomenon of regression-to-the-mean, and similar illusion can be observed in the effect of reward as well.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、これまで教育や行動分析の分野で扱われることがほとんどであった、罰の使用に関する問題を、「罰の使用」と「行動の改善」という二つの出来事の間で生じる関係性学習としてとらえるという新たな視点から、学習心理学の知見を用いて実験的に解き明かすものである。「なぜひとは罰を使うのか」という現実場面における身近かつ重大な疑問に対して、厳密な統制下で行われる心理学実験を応用し取り組む斬新な試みであるといえる。研究の結果、我々が罰の効果を誤りやすい状況や、そのような錯覚が生じるメカニズムの一部が明らかとなった。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Causal Superlearning arising from interactions among cues (2017)
  • Author(s): Urushihara, K. & Miller, R. R.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition Volume: 43 Pages: 183-196
  • DOI: 10.1037/xan0000137
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] 学習理論から考える認知行動療法におけるクライエント‐セラピスト関係(指定討論) (2019)
  • Author(s): 漆原宏次
  • Organizer: 日本認知・行動療法学会大会
• [Presentation] 連合学習か命題推論か？：超学習現象における評定値の確信度の検討 (2018)
  • Author(s): 漆原宏次
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第82回大会
• [Presentation] Cue interaction in human causal learning is affected by information about total number of causes. (2017)
  • Author(s): K. Urushihara
  • Organizer: 24th International Conference on Comparative Cognition (presentation in a symposium).
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Cue interaction in human causal judgment: Challenges for both association formation models and the propositional approach. (2016)
  • Author(s): Urushihara, K.
  • Organizer: 31st International Congress of Psychology
  • Place of Presentation: Yokohama, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-26
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Super Causal Learning Arising from Cue Interaction. (2014)
  • Author(s): Kouji Urushihara
  • Organizer: 55th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society
  • Place of Presentation: Hyatt Regency, Long Beach
  • Year and Date: 2014-11-22
• [Presentation] 連合学習か命題推論か？：ヒトの超学習メカニズムの実験的検討 (2014)
  • Author(s): 漆原宏次
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第78回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 同志社大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-12
• [Presentation] 条件づけと連合学習研究の新しい発展-強化と目標志向行動- 指定討論 (2014)
  • Author(s): 漆原宏次
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第78回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 同志社大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-12