Children
Reverse psychology is often used on children due to their high tendency to respond with reactance, a desire to restore threatened freedom of action. Some parents feel that the best strategy is sometimes "reverse psychology": telling children to stay in the house when you really want them to choose to go outside and play'.
Questions have however been raised about such an approach when it is more than merely instrumental, in the sense that 'reverse psychology implies a clever manipulation of the misbehaving child' and nothing more. With respect to '"emotional intelligence"... successful fathering', the advice has been given: 'don't try to use reverse psychology....such strategies are confusing, manipulative, dishonest, and they rarely work'. In addition, consistently allowing a child to do the opposite of what he/she is being advised, undermines the authority of the parent.
Read more about this topic: Reverse Psychology
Famous quotes containing the word children:
“All God’s children are not beautiful. Most of God’s children are, in fact, barely presentable.”
—Fran Lebowitz (20th century)
“I doubt that we can ever successfully impose values or attitudes or behaviors on our children—certainly not by threat, guilt, or punishment. But I do believe they can be induced through relationships where parents and children are growing together. Such relationships are, I believe, build on trust, example, talk, and caring.”
—Fred Rogers (20th century)
“Why can’t the English teach their children how to speak?”
—Alan Jay Lerner (1918–1986)