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Association Between Online Social Influence and Corporal Punishment: An Experimental Study

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Abstract

Online news stories about child corporal punishment (CP) often receive news user comments that are incongruent with scientific reports and experts’ advice. Recent research suggests that comments and approval ratings on news websites can be sources of social influence that affects perceptions and behaviors. However, little research has investigated the influence of online comments and approval ratings on CP perceptions and behavior. Using the Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction, this study employed a 2 (comments: congruent vs. incongruent) × 2 (approval ratings: low vs. high) randomized between-subject experimental design to examine the effect of online comments and approval ratings on intentions to use CP and support for CP prevention policy (N = 458). Findings indicated that while comments exerted an effect on perceptions of CP, approval ratings did not. Specifically, compared to participants who viewed congruent comments, those who viewed incongruent comments reported higher injunctive norms (β = .94, 95% CI [.72, 1.14]), higher descriptive norms (β = .33, 95% CI [.17, .49]), and greater favorable attitudes toward CP (β = .37, 95% CI [.21, 53]). The results of the mediation analyses demonstrated that incongruent comments indirectly increase intentions to use CP via injunctive norms (β = .14, 95% CI [.04, .25]) and attitudes (β = .30, 95% CI [.18, .45]). These comments were also found to decrease support for CP prevention policy via injunctive norms (β = − .10, 95% CI [− .20, − .01]) and attitudes (β = − .18, 95% CI [− .28, − .11]). The findings have implications for research and interventions using mass media to convey CP prevention messages.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Studies, University of Georgia, 513 Caldwell Hall, Athens, GA, USA

    Hue Trong Duong

  2. School of Communication and Design, RMIT Vietnam University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

    Long Thang Van Nguyen

  3. William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Hong Tien Vu

  4. Department of Business Administration, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

    Anh Thuy Trinh

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  1. Hue Trong Duong
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  2. Long Thang Van Nguyen
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  3. Hong Tien Vu
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Correspondence to Hue Trong Duong.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved in August 28, 2018 by the Human Research Ethics Committee, RMIT University (Project No: 21623).

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Appendices

Appendix A

Examples of news users’ comments posted to the Time Magazine news story, which reports the harmful effect of spanking.

figure a

Note: The link to the news story and associated comments can be found at https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/harmful-effects-spanking-can-last-10-years-132219188.html

Appendix B

Scale Items-Questionnaire

Injunctive Norms (1-strongly disagree; 7-strongly agree)

  1. 1.

    My close friends agree that using corporal punishment as a child disciplinary method is necessary.

  2. 2.

    My family members agree that using corporal punishment as a child disciplinary method is necessary.

  3. 3.

    People who are important to me agree that using corporal punishment as a child disciplinary method is necessary.

Descriptive Norms (1-none; 6-almost all)

  1. 1.

    How many families in Vietnam would you guess are currently using corporal punishment to educate children?

  2. 2.

    How many families living in your city/province would you guess are currently using corporal punishment to educate children?

  3. 3.

    How many people in your extended family would you guess are currently using corporal punishment to educate children?

  4. 4.

    How many families living in your local area would you guess are currently using corporal punishment to educate children?

  5. 5.

    How many people at your parents’ age would you guess are currently using corporal punishment to educate children?

Attitudes Toward CP (1-strongly disagree; 7-strongly agree)

  1. 1.

    Using corporal punishment with a child is a normal part of parenting.

  2. 2.

    Sometimes, using corporal punishment is the best way to get a child to listen.

  3. 3.

    Corporal punishment is not an effective method to change a child’s behavior for the long term. (r)

  4. 4.

    Sometimes, corporal punishment is necessary to instill proper moral and social conduct.

  5. 5.

    Sometimes, the only way to get a child to behave is with using corporal punishment.

  6. 6.

    One of the best ways for a child to learn “no” is to physically punish him/her after disobedience.

  7. 7.

    If a child is spanked for a misbehavior, he or she should always be physically punished for that misbehavior.

  8. 8.

    When all is said and done, corporal punishment is harmful for a child. (r)

  9. 9.

    I believe it is the parent’s right to use corporal punishment their children if they think it is necessary.

  10. 10.

    Overall, I believe corporal punishment is a bad disciplinary technique. (r)

Intentions to use CP (1-strongly disagree; 7-strongly agree)

  1. 1.

    If and when I become a parent, I plan to use corporal punishment with my child.

  2. 2.

    If and when I become a parent, if my child needs to be physically punished, I will not hesitate to do so.

  3. 3.

    If and when I become a parent, I’m sure I won’t use corporal punishment with my child. (r).

Support for CP prevention policy (1-strongly disagree; 7-strongly agree)

  1. 1.

    I support legislations that protect children from parental use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary method.

  2. 2.

    I support legislations that deter parents from using corporal punishment with their children.

  3. 3.

    I support legislations that ban parents from using corporal punishment with their children.

  4. 4.

    I support authorities to disseminate messages about the consequences of corporal punishment.

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Duong, H.T., Van Nguyen, L.T., Vu, H.T. et al. Association Between Online Social Influence and Corporal Punishment: An Experimental Study. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 37, 163–177 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-019-00632-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-019-00632-9

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