While some parents may claim they’ve gotten their discipline strategies “down to a science,” others may feel like behavior management is more of an art form that has to remain as flexible. Both perspectives on the art versus science debate of discipline offer some interesting perspective.

The Science of Discipline

Psychologists and biologists alike are interested in studying how people – and animals – behave in certain environmental conditions.

Understanding when people are more likely to behave impulsively or understanding what factors influence behavior change is important to many disciplines.

Police officers need to know when people are likely to behave aggressively. Hiring managers can benefit from understanding what type of people are likely to be the best match for their office. And Marketing executives want to know which type of advertisements will influence people to buy certain products.

Similarly, parents can apply research conducted on human behavior to their child discipline techniques. By altering the environment, parents can influence the way a child behaves. Many parent training programs, especially those aimed at helping parents of children with ADHD and ODD, assist parents in applying behavior modification techniques.

Behavior modification, for example, involves applying positive reinforcement to increase good behavior. Praising a child for using manners or placing a sticker on a sticker chart can increase the likelihood that your child will repeat those good behaviors.

Negative consequences reduce the likelihood that your child will repeat a behavior. Taking away privileges or withdrawing attention, for example, can remind your child that certain behaviors lead to undesirable outcomes.

The Art of Discipline

If child discipline involved science only, children could learn to manage their behavior in a laboratory. But that's not how it works. Not all children respond to the same behavior management techniques. While taking away electronics may effectively decrease one child’s misbehavior, another child may not respond to that consequence at all.

Kids need to be treated as individuals and discipline should be tailored to each child’s temperament. Similarly, a parent’s temperament should also be taken into consideration because discipline techniques that prove effective for one parent, may not be effective for the other.

The art of discipline requires parents to recognize when misbehavior results from a skill deficit - such as a child hitting because he doesn't know how to ask for help - versus misbehavior that results from a child's desire to test your reaction. A parent who is mindful of the delicate balance between offering enough guidance and giving plenty of freedom will remain flexible with discipline strategies.

Combination of Art and Science

A parent who uses the scientific aspect of discipline only, isn’t likely to teach the child all the skills he needs. If the focus is solely on implementing rewards and punishments - without examining the underlying reasons for misbehavior - a child may not learn how to change his behavior in the future.

On the other hand, a parent who approaches discipline as an art form only may not apply discipline strategies consistent enough to make the consequences effective. If a child is given a time-out one day for misbehavior but the next day the parent simply looks in the other direction, the child isn't likely to change his behavior.

The best approach to discipline uses a combination of art and science. The art of discipline involves recognizing a child’s skill deficits, understanding a child’s mood, and remaining flexible in the approach to discipline. The science aspect of discipline involves using effective positive and negative consequences in a consistent manner.