Recent findings from researchers associated with Old Dominion University in the United States indicate that corporal punishment, including spanking, is linked to a decline in certain cognitive abilities in children. The study, published in the scholarly journal Child Abuse and Neglect, provides a comprehensive look at how physical discipline may impact the developing mind. The researchers analyzed data from a large sample to understand the nuanced effects of spanking on executive functions that are critical to learning, self-control, and adaptive behavior. This work adds to a growing body of literature examining the consequences of physical punishment on child development and educational outcomes.
The project drew on data from a substantial cohort of 18,170 children, with a detailed focus on a substantial subset of about 12,800 participants aged five to six years. The central aim was to assess the impact of corporal punishment on three core components of executive function: inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. By examining these domains, the study sought to illuminate whether the experience of spanking correlates with measurable differences in a child’s capacity to regulate impulses, shift thinking when needed, and hold information in mind for short periods during problem solving and learning tasks.
Inhibitory control, a key executive process that supports self-regulation, is what enables a child to pause before acting and to resist impulses that could lead to inappropriate behavior. In this study, teachers contributed to the assessment by completing behavior questionnaires that gauge a child’s ability to inhibit responses in school settings. Tests designed to probe cognitive processes and working memory complemented these teacher-based evaluations, offering a broader picture of how information is held and manipulated in the mind during tasks. Parents supplied information on whether their child had experienced corporal punishment, allowing researchers to explore associations across home experiences and school performance.
Across the data, a pattern emerged: spanking did not show a meaningful association with deficits in working memory, a cognitive system that temporarily stores and loads information for ongoing reasoning. Yet the same corporal discipline was linked to reductions in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. These domains are essential for learning new skills, adapting to changing rules, and managing behavior in social and academic contexts. The observed declines suggest that physical punishment may hinder a child’s ability to regulate responses and flexibly adjust strategies in the face of frustration or new tasks, which can influence daily school life and long-term educational trajectories.
Importantly, the observed effects appeared consistent across demographic lines. The results held steady irrespective of the child’s gender, the caregiver’s ethnicity, or the level of warmth perceived within the parent-child relationship. This consistency implies that the potential adverse outcomes of corporal punishment on inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility are not confined to particular groups but may represent a broader developmental hazard that warrants attention across diverse family backgrounds and communities. The study underscores the importance of cultivating supportive home environments and constructive disciplinary approaches that align with children’s cognitive and emotional needs, thereby supporting better learning outcomes and behavioral regulation as children grow.
In discussing the broader implications, researchers emphasize that forgetfulness or lapses in memory during childhood can arise from a range of sources, including certain medical conditions. While the focus of this work is on the behavioral and cognitive ramifications of spanking, the note about memory lapses serves as a reminder that normal childhood forgetfulness often has multiple influences and typically does not by itself point to a serious health issue. As science continues to explore how early experiences shape executive function, parents, educators, and policy makers are encouraged to consider non-physical strategies that support self-regulation and flexible thinking, thereby fostering environments where children can learn, adapt, and thrive without the risks associated with corporal punishment.