[Creative Cultivation Program] Is there any scientific basis for the claim that spanking can improve IQ?

Author: The Nutcracker Studio

Reviewer: Tang Yicheng

I remember when I was a kid, my parents would spank me if I did something wrong, under the pretext of "making you remember this lesson". This simple and crude way of education should have been abandoned by parents long ago, but now it has made a comeback on many short video platforms with the fantastic theory that "spanking can improve IQ". So the question is, is spanking really related to growing a brain?

1. Is there any experimental evidence that “spanking improves IQ”?

Those who hold the theory that "spanking can improve IQ" will often cite a report: Swiss psychologists discovered through experiments that a group of students with average academic performance had their memory improved by 38% after being spanked.

This report provides some details, such as students saying "it's painful but worth it" after being interviewed, or "experts" proposing theoretical support, which seems serious and you can't help but believe it.

But if you analyze it carefully, you will find that this report has many flaws. First, the research institute "Lucerne Institute of Psychological Research" mentioned in this news is fabricated, and there is no psychology researcher who can match the "expert" Dr. Crispin Heinz mentioned in the article. Secondly, all related reports only mentioned simple experimental forms and conclusions, without more detailed experimental design and execution content, and no related papers, so it can be basically judged that this news is made up.

Furthermore, the design of this "experiment" is not rigorous. The article says that this experiment selected a total of 150 students with "average grades". Firstly, the sample size is too small, and it is difficult to draw a universal result based on the results of only 150 people; secondly, "average grades" is a very vague concept, and there may be many reasons for poor grades, such as students' lack of concentration, teachers' unsuitable teaching methods, or students' insufficient time for learning. The improvement of memory in the later period is not necessarily causally related to "spanking".

In general, the conclusion that "spanking improves IQ" is not valid.

2. Magical adrenaline and endorphins

Although the experimental results are false, is it possible that the theory is true? Those who support the idea that spanking can improve IQ have a complete explanation: after a person is spanked, a large amount of adrenaline and endorphins will be secreted. When these two substances are mixed, they will open up a person's previously unopened neural pathways, which can effectively improve a person's IQ.

Is this statement reliable? First of all, we need to understand what adrenaline and endorphins are and what they are used for.

Adrenaline is a hormone and neurotransmitter released by epinephrine. When adrenaline is secreted, the human body's breathing speeds up, and the heartbeat and blood flow also speed up. In short, adrenaline can make the body excited.

Endorphins are hormones secreted by the pituitary gland that relieve pain and regulate body temperature, cardiovascular function, and respiratory function. In addition, endorphins are also called "pleasure hormones" or "youth hormones". The human body feels happy when endorphins are secreted.

After being spanked, the human body receives external stimulation and feels threatened, secreting adrenaline and endorphins to relieve pain, making the body more excited, the attention more focused, and the neuron endings in the brain nerves more closely connected, so memory may be improved.

However, this memory improvement due to hormone secretion is short-term and discontinuous. At the same time, "smartness" is a broad concept. The "IQ" we often talk about includes multiple dimensions such as numbers, space, logic, vocabulary, memory, etc. Improving memory in a short period of time cannot be called "becoming smarter."

Moreover, if you want to temporarily improve your memory through external stimulation, you don't have to hurt yourself. Moderate-intensity exercise, such as running, swimming, cycling, etc., can also stimulate the body to secrete adrenaline and endorphins. Compared with physical pain, relying on exercise is safer and more comfortable. After all, the "long memory" brought by spanking is just a childhood shadow, while exercise not only brings pleasure, but also gives you a strong body.

3. Spanking can make you stupider

Parents all want their sons to be successful and their daughters to be outstanding, but they should adopt scientific methods to educate their children. Corporal punishment will not make children "smarter", but will only intensify conflicts and worsen the relationship between parents and children.

An article in Popular Psychology in 2021 wrote that a four-year experiment conducted on 1,510 children aged 2 to 9 showed that children who had not suffered corporal punishment had an IQ level 5 to 28 points higher than children who were frequently beaten.

The United States has also published a 50-year study. Elizabeth Gershoff, a researcher at the University of Texas, said: The more spankings a child receives as a child, the more likely they are to exhibit antisocial behavior and suffer from mental illness as an adult. "Spanking" is not only a physical punishment, but also a mental injury. People who were physically punished as children often feel inferior and unloved by their parents. This feeling will continue to affect a person's life.

Moreover, children are young and their bodies are still developing. Their skin and internal organs are relatively delicate. Spanking can cause hematoma on the buttocks, poor blood circulation, and even necrotizing inflammation in severe cases. At the same time, the buttocks and kidneys of children are relatively close, so spanking may injure internal organs. This kind of injury may be difficult to detect at first, and it is often too late to be discovered, causing irreparable harm to the child.

Give up the fantasy that spanking can make you smarter!

References:

[1] Liu Xiuying. Research refutes spanking as a way of disciplining children: spanking increases the risk of mental illness[J]. Journal of Children and Adolescents, 2016(6):61-62.

[2] Zhai Yongyi, Cui Yanhong, Xu Haokun. Effects of core stabilization exercises on β-endorphin and cortisol levels in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain[J]. Journal of Cervical and Lumbar Pain, 2021(1):100-102.

[3] Yang Haili, Wang Xushao. A 10-year review of high-dose epinephrine for cardiac resuscitation in children[J]. Journal of Practical Pediatrics, 1998(3):177-178.

[4] Wang Wei, Lei Li. Spanking a child may damage his brain[J]. Basic Education Reference, 2015(11):78-78.

[5] Guo Zhendong. Psychological problems caused by beating children[J]. Today's Education: Contemporary Early Childhood Education, 2007(6):33-33.

[6] Zhang Ping. Parents, are you still beating your children? What psychological changes will children experience after being beaten? [J]. Family Health: Medical Science, 2017(3):40-41.

[7] Yang Ling, Wang Zhijun. Do you know why you are so sad now? —Because you were spanked when you were a child [J]. Popular Psychology, 2021, 28(7): 40-.

This article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Cultivation Program. Please indicate the source when reprinting