Question

Which do you think makes people more likely to follow the norms of society: rewards or punishments? Why? Give examples and/or explanations.

Answer 1

I think rewarding people for following the norms would work better than punishment for many reasons. The biggest reason being that people never think they will be caught, and therefore they won’t get punished. If they were to be rewarded, they would want to follow the norms so they could get the prize.

Answer 2

I think punishments make people more likely to follow the norms of society.

Step-by-step explanation:

Although when teaching children positive behavior it is recommended to use both rewards and punishments, I think society in general functions with punishments, that are carried out by the legal system. When you break the law, this has a consequence, even as small as a parking ticket. Avoiding punishments is one of the reasons people follow norms of society and regulate their behavior.