The Pros and cons of punishment from a psychological point of view

p Introduction

Punishment in a wide sense can be defined as the infliction of pain and /or penalties , or the deprivation of privileges , by an authorized person or persons on a person or persons believed to be guilty of having broken the law or , more generally , of having done wrong (Don locke

There are types of punishments which are basically segregated into socio-economic [e .g . fines , loss of income , confiscation , suspension and community service] and physical /corporal punishments [ e .g .capital punishment , custodial sentences and public humiliation]

Each punishment

is levied with a unique judicial system of moral laws in depending on the severity of violations of humanity or legal bound systems and enactments of laws . The struggle of punishment has been eternal ever since the times of Moses and Pharaoh [Holy Bible] considered to be a moral and physical battle between righteous and unrighteous

Question : How far punishment works in an individual in bringing change through the process of psychology

There are several factors to consider before a conclusion is arrived at For instance , among children , punishing children although considered as risk , it is attempted in small quantities , in to bring behavioral change or to make children to get away from bad habits or deeds . Secondly , some of the patterns of punishments are followed by rewards . This is considered as simple system of motivating children which is practiced by parents and teachers

If punishment is stick , carrot is the reward . Application of stick in punishing individuals is implemented in to bring a psychological change or reing the status of mental health which is pre-emptively expected to be unsound or deterrant in causing a willful catastrophies at the time committing a wrong deed

Gregory Zillboorg (1953 ) in his lectures , The psychology of the Criminal Act and Punishment , stated that there exists a conflict between law and psychiatry , which has to be dealt with appropriate measures and standards according to the severity of the case . Importantly , the emphasis is laid here on the understanding the psychology of criminal or wrong doer in to prevent the judicial courts from doing injustice

Rehabilitation or Punishment can also be considered as mental therapy on cognitive approach , to enable an individual to realize in the course of trial period , which is predicted to produce results in transforming the mindset , in long term perspective . This particular work of psychology is attempted to bring down the level or status of criminal mindset to the normal psychology of human mind

The Analysis of psychology of a person in the course of punishment

According to William James (1890 , the functioning of principles of psychology in human brain are similar in every human being . viz logic , introspection , experiment and comparison . Further , psychology is interrelated with moral philosophy which emerges in the mind with the implication of punishment which is a probable cause for transforming a bad individual into a good individual [Oprah shows of social and family violations]

For e .g . A person is charged...