Dreikurs, Rudolf
From WikEd
Rudolf Dreikurs (1897-1972)
[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
1. Biography
This social psychologist was born in Vienna, Austria on February 8, 1897. His contributions to society were plentiful up until his passing on May 25, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois. Dreikurs was a student and colleague of social pychologist Alfred Adler, who "believed that the central motivation of all humans is to belong and be accepted by others" (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 115). After his death, two writers continued to expand on his work. Linda Albert composed A Teacher's Guide to Cooperative Discipline, while Donald Dinkmeyer produced Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP).
The Encyclopedia Britannica depicts Dreikurs as an "American psychiatrist and educator who developed the Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler's system of individual psychology into a pragmatic method for understanding the purposes of reprehensible behaviour in children and for stimulating cooperative behaviour without punishment or reward."
2. Historical background of Adler’s theory
The rash application of Freudian concepts and John Dewey’s progressive education caused extreme indulgence or ultra permissiveness in discipline and failed effectively dealing with children in new democratic society. For Adler, "what was needed was a willingness to understand the child and to stimulate his cooperation" (Dreikurs, 1968, p. 19) based on the responsibility.
3. Basics of Adler and Dreikurs’s social theory
① Adler’s Basic premises (Dreikurs, 1972, pp. 8-9)
i) Man is a social being and his main desire (the basic motivation) is to belong.
ii) All behavior is purposive. One cannot understand behavior of another person unless one knows to which goal it is directed, and it is always directed towards finding one's place.
iii) Man is a decision-making organism.
iv) Man does not see reality as it is, but only as he perceives it, and his perception may be mistaken or biased.
② Can be put under Confronting-Contracting intervention model, because it believes the correction of students’ misbehavior is the result of a teacher actively showing a student how to belong (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 115).
③ Logical consequences replace punishment (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 137).
[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings
1. Comparison of Dreikurs's Social Discipline Model with other teacher intervention models (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 37)
① This model is similar with Relationship-Listening model in that trying to find an underlying cause for misbehaviors and having optimistic belief in the child’s rational capacities. But this is more assertive and intrusive than Relationship-Listening model, and adults or peers need to intervene and redirect the child’s misplaced goals.
② When compared to Rules and Consequences model, this model is applying logical consequences rather than punishment, and encouragement rather than rewards.
2. Applications in classroom setting
① Basic Assumption
All misbehavior is the result of a child’s mistaken assumption about the way he can find a place and gain status (Dreikurs, 1968, p. 36).
② Students’ goals that motivates misbehavior (Wolfgang, 2001, pp. 117-122) (Dreikurs, 1968, pp. 37-40)
i) Attention Getting
Students who are looking to belong and be recognized in the class. This is more often identified with disturbing behavior. Many times this occurs because students are not getting the recognition that they feel they deserve. If students cannot get attention for their positive behaviors (being on task, completing work, arriving on time, etc.), they will seek it with inappropriate behaviors (continually calling out, refusing to work, asking irrelevant questions, etc.)
Wolfgang (2001) explains, "A student who seeks attention should not receive it when he acts out. To give attention to the student for inappropriate behavior would be playing into the student's plan and would not help the student learn how to behave prodcutively in the group" (p. 120).
Instead of giving attention to the attention seeker, look to these techniques:
- Minimize the Attention (Ignore the behavior, stand close by, give written notice)
- Legitimize the Behavior (Make a lesson out of the behavior, have the whole class join in the behavior)
- Do the Unexpected (Turn out the lights, play a musical sound, talk to the wall)
- Distract the Student (Ask a direct question, ask a favor, change the activity)
- Notice Appropriate Behavior (Thank students, write well-behaved students' names on the chalkboard)
- Move the Student (Change the student's seat, send the student to the thinking chair)
ii) Power and Control
Students who feel inferiority, so trying to be boss. Once the battle has been joined, the child has already won it. Behavior characteristics consist of the student repetitively doing a behavior to make him or her the center of attention. When asked to stop, he or she becomes defiant and escalates his or her negative behavior and challenges the adult. The teacher will feel annoyed at the students's actions.
Wolfgang (2001) states, "A student who wishes to possess power should not be able to engage the teacher in a struggle. The teacher who falls for this 'bait' and gets pulled into the battle is merely continuing the excitement and challenge for the student. The student becomes increasingly bolder and pleased with trying to test the teacher. The teacher should attempt to remove the issue of power altogether and force the student to look for some other goal for behaving" (p. 121).
iii) Revenge
Students who think the only way to get recognition is to retaliate against adults for the way they feel they have been unfairly treated. This is formed after a long series of discouragement by failing trials for attention getting and power.
Behavior characteristics consist of a student who hurts others physically or psychologically. The teacher will feel hurt in relation to the student's actions.
Wolfgang (2001) explains, "In this case, the teacher is dealing with a more difficult task. A student who feels hurt and wishes to retaliate must be handled in a caring, affectionate manner. It is likely that this student appears unloving and uncaring, and is very hard to 'warm up to.' But this is exactly what the student needs--to feel cared for" (p. 121).
Look to these techniques with students who are seeking power and/or revenge:
- Make a Graceful Exit (Acknowledge student's power, remove the audience, table the matter)
- Use Time-Out
- Set the Consequence
iv) Helplessness and Inadequacy
Students who gave up on the possibility of being a member or of gaining any status in the group and no longer care what happens.
Behavior characteristics consist of the student wishing not to be seen, acting passive and lethargic, rejecting social control, refusing to comply, or trying most educational demands. The teacher will feel inadequate or incapable in relation to the student's actions.
Students may sit silently and engage in no interaction, passively refuse to participate, or request to be left alone in this instance.
Wolfgang (2001) states, "The student who shows inadequacy or helplessness is the most discouraged. She has lost all initiative of ever trying to belong to the group. The teacher must exercise great patience and attempt to show the child that she is capable" (p. 122).
To assist a helpless student look to these techniques:
- Modify Instructional Methods
- Use Concrete Learning Materials and Computer-Assisted Instruction
- Teach One Step at a Time
- Provide Tutoring
- Teach Positive Self-Talk
- Make Mistakes Okay
- Build Confidence
- Focus on Past Success
- Make Learning Tangible
- Recognize Achievement
③ Teachers’ Role
• The teacher must recognize students’ inner goal and them help the students change to the more appropriate goal of learning how to belong with others (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 115).
• Techniques of modifying child’s motivation (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 34, 41)
i) Observe the child’s behavior in detail.
ii) Be psychologically sensitive to your own reaction.
iii) Confront the child with the four goals. The purpose of confrontation is to disclose and confirm the mistaken goal to the child. Use the four "could it be…" questions: 1. Could it be that you want special attention? 2. Could it be that you want your own way and hope to be boss? 3. Could it be that you want to hurt others as much as you feel hurt by them? 4. Could it be that you want to be left alone?
iv) Note the recognition reflex.
v) Apply appropriate corrective procedures.
"In carrying out this procedure, the teacher moves through silently looking, questions, command, and back to questions" (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 118).
• What teachers need are…(Dreikurs, 1968, pp. 53-54) (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 43)
i) Disinvolvement
ii) Use of logical consequences rather than reward and punishment
iii) Encouragement – accepts the child as worthwhile and assists them in developing his capacity and potentialities. Unlike the reward which is given to a child for something well done, encouragement is needed when the child fails.
3. Encouragement (Dreikurs, 1972, pp. 49-59)
i) The essence of encouragement is to increase the child's confidence in himself and to convey to him that he is good enough as he is not just as he might be. It is directed toward increasing the child's belief in himself.
ii) Some points to encourage every student. Avoid discouragement. Work for improvement, not perfection. Comment effort than results. Separate the deed from the doer. Build on strength, not on weaknesses. Show your faith in the child. Mistakes should not be viewed as failures. Integrate the child into the group. Praise is not the same as encouragement. Help the child develop the courage to be imperfect.
iii) Differences between praise and encouragement
Praise can be discouraging. Praise recognizes the actor, encouragement acknowledges the act.
"Dinkmeyer and Dreikurs were not saying that praise should be totally avoided, but what they were suggesting is that too much praise makes a child dependent on the teacher" (Wolfgang. 2001, p. 127).
4. Logical Consequences
① Basic Concept
Every act has a consequence, and if we are to avoid unpleasant results of our acts we must then behave in a way which will help to guarantee more favorable results (Dreikurs, 1968, p. 62). Logical consequences should offer the child a clear and logical choice of behavior and results. The child must perceive that he has a choice and accept the relationship of his choice to what followed (Dreikurs, 1968, p. 82). It is structured and arranged by the adult, must be experienced by the child as logical in nature (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 62).
② Origins of this idea (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 60)
i) Herbert Spencer – distinguished between punishment and natural consequences
ii) Jean Piaget – distinguished between retributive justice (punishment) and distributive justice
③ Criteria Distinguishing Logical Consequences from Punishment
(Dreikurs, 1968, pp. 71-78)
i) Logical consequences express the reality of the social order, not of the person; punishment, the power of a personal authority.
ii) Logical consequence is logically related to the misbehavior; punishment rarely is. The child must see clearly the relationship between his act and the result of his own behavior rather than that of others.
iii) Logical consequence involves no element of moral judgment; punishment inevitable does. A logical consequence gives the child the choice of deciding for himself whether or not he wants to repeat a given act.
iv) Logical consequences are concerned only with what will happen now, punishments with the past.
v) The voice is friendly when consequences are invoked; there is anger in punishment, either open or concealed.
④ Conditions under which logical consequences maybe utilized (Dreikurs, 1968, pp. 78-81)
i) The use of choice: the child should be asked to choose between behaving in the correct manner or continuing with his misbehavior. If he decides to continue it, then the consequence should immediately follow.
ii) Understanding the goal of the child
iii) The situation of danger
iv) When consequences fail.
5. Classroom Meetings
① Basic Idea
Students need to practice democratic principles in school in order to learn how to contribute later to society as a whole. The central process for carrying out this modeling of democracy is the use of the class meeting. Any problem child is a problem for the whole class, and the solution to the problem grows most naturally out of the helpful involvement of all class members (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 78).
② Purpose
Open classroom meetings create a context for developing empathy and group membership. Group discussions provide the teacher with an opportunity to help the children understand themselves, and to change their concept of themselves and others which will eventually change their motivations from hostile to cooperative living (Dreikurs, 1972, p. 79).
③ Eight building blocks for carrying out effective classroom meetings (Suggested by Jane Nelson (a Dreikurs-Adlerian writer))
i) Form a circle
ii) Practice compliments and appreciation
iii) Create an agenda
iv) Develop communication skills
v) Learn about separate realities
vi) Recognize the four purposes of behavior
vii) Practice role playing and brainstorming
viii) Focus on nonpunitive solutions
[edit] Evidence of effectiveness
[edit] Critics and their rationale
• Nelson – Logical consequences has possibilities of becoming hidden forms of punishment (as cited in Wolfgang, 2001, p. 130).
• Wolfgang – It may be difficult to determine the student’s mistaken goals and the use of logical consequences if difficult for the teacher to determine (Wolfgang, 2001, p. 137).
• Kohn – (About Logical Consequences) To contrive some sort of conceptual link between the punishment and the crime may be satisfying to the adult, but in most cases it probably makes very little difference to the child. (About Class Meeting) What counts is that the teacher has never given up any real control. What matters is that the goal is not learning: it is obedience (as cited in Wolfgang, p. 138).
[edit] More Books by Dreikurs
- A Parent's Guide to Child Discipline by Rudolf Dreikurs and Loren Grey
- The Challenge of Marriage
- The Challenge of Parenthood
- Children: The Challenge -- by Rudolf Dreikurs, Vicki Soltz
- Coping With Children's Misbehavior, a Parent's Guide
- Discipline Without Tears -- by Rudolf Dreikurs, et al
- Encouraging Children to Learn by Rudolf Dreikurs, Don, Sr. Dinkmeyer
- Family council: the Dreikurs technique for putting an end to war between parents and children (and between children and children)
- Fundamentals of Adlerian Psychology
- Maintaining Sanity in the Classroom: Classroom Management Techniques -- by Rudolf Dreikurs, et al
- New Approach to Discipline: Logical Consequences
- Psychology in the Classroom: A Manual for Teachers
- Social Equality the Challenge of Today
- (Biography) Courage to Be Imperfect: The Life and Work of Rudolf Dreikurs by Janet Terner, W.L. Pew
Reactions to the Social Discipline Model
"Natural/logical consequences are important to help young people mature and understand what behaviors create negative consequences."
-Richard Adkins
"I like the idea of logical and natural consequences, but I have been in classes that were such zoos, how do you decide what will be a logical consequence when students are behaving in ways they might not otherwise behave?"
-Ralph Alexander
"I wonder if classroom meetings aren’t just a way for teachers to direct student behaviors and responses (p.129). Are they truly a democratic way to discuss misbehavior in the classroom?"
-Janet Vallowe
(Each person gave permission for the use of their quote.)
[edit] Alternative explanations due to diversity considerations
[edit] Signed "life experiences," testimonies and stories
This technique was introduced to me in the 1980's. I have successfully implemented this approach in my teaching and business careers. The three models of autocratic, permissive, and democratic parenting or teaching styles are still vital in today's classroom/workplace. Is it possible that the role of a democratic learner has been forgotten? As I remember, the student and the teacher share in the idea of rights and responsibilities. I am concerned that taking only some parts of the approach leave it devoid of its full potential. Some educators expect the student to take on all of the responsibility for learning, but more dangerously there are those who take on all of the responsibility for the child, and leave the child expecting all of the rights. The democratic approach of giving both teacher and student rights and responsibilities does create a more responsible child/student/worker. Perhaps this may be where the attitude of entitlement was fostered.
- I was really interested in the concept of class meetings as a means to resolve difficulties. The other day we used this method in my class as a way to find a solution to a problem we were having in terms of following directions. We brainstormed several solutions and then selected one to utilize. The one that the children selected was easy to implement and seemed to maintain the dignity of the person having difficulties. Some of the children hugged me afterward and said that they wanted to come back to this particular school. I felt happy and empowered all the rest of the day in knowing that the children made an excellent choice on their own. B. Orenic
I found some quotes from people in America that are in the same kind of class we are in right now. They have some questions regarding Dreikurs, and I wanted to stir things up...um...I mean...share them.
I think that this model is very time consuming and you could only use it if you know the children really well. I feel that it is possible to misinterpret student’s actions, which may cause the students to become irritated by the teacher’s actions (using inappropriate actions). I also fear that the overuse of criticism, or reward could damage the student’s ability to detect appropriate from inappropriate behavior (making the rules-spoken/unspoken) irrelevant. Students who are passive, or refuse to talk will be hard to work with when using this model. The teacher may have a hard time with goals/consequences.
Model democratic living–no. I would not use this, because I feel it is very time consuming, could embarrass and single out the student, and brings other classmates into a problem that is none of their business. I think each child should be dealt with in private and bringing every problem into the classroom is absurd.
Disclose and confirm mistaken goal to the child–no, I would not use this, because children will many times deny their own behavior and become disrespectful towards the teacher because they have been confronted of having this particular problem (ex. feeling helpless). I think the teacher can reveal behavior to a child in a more positive manner (encouragement) rather than just presenting the problem.
Source: http://csmstu01.csm.edu/st03/bluth/index/scholarlyprs/eclecticrpt/index/htm
(Dreikurs, 1972, pp. 28-29)
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live, to love and be loved.
[edit] References and other links of interest
"Dreikurs, Rudolf." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 4 Nov. 2004 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9031174>.
Wolfgang, Charles H. Solving Discipline and Classroom Management Problems: Methods and Models for Today's Teachers. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2001.
Dreikurs, R. and Cassel, P (1972). Discipline without Tears, 2nd edition, pp. 1-84, A Plum Book
Dreikurs, R. and Grey, L (1968). The New Approach to Discipline: Logical Consequences, pp. 1-82, A plum Book
Related Links
Link to a rather extensive list of Dreikurs' works.
Chapter: Classical Adlerian Theory and Practice
Jane Nelson and Positive Discipline
An informal, interesting little article by Fred Wichmann
