Effects of labeling and a child's reaction to punishment on subsequent disciplinary practices of adults and peers.

Effects of the label "mentally retarded" and a child's reaction to punishment on the severity of punishment administered by college students and fourth graders were examined using a video tape of an acting-out child in a classroom. Forty males and 40 females in each age group viewed one of four video tapes that were identical, with the exception of a segment in which the child responded to being disciplined by either making reparation, pleading, ignoring his punishment, or being defiant. One-half of the subjects in each condition were told that the child was mentally retarded. The subject decided how many points, representing varying intervals of "free time, should be given or removed contingent on the child's behavior. Results revealed that college students were significantly more punitive than were fourth graders, the labeled child received a significantly less severe punishment than did the nonlabeled child, and, in comparison with the other reaction conditions, the child received the most severe punishment when he reacted defiantly and obtained a reward when he responded with reparation. The results were discussed in terms of the protective function of the label and the bidirectional model of socialization.