Corporal punishment viewed as more acceptable and effective when referred to as spanking

Corporal punishment is viewed as more acceptable and effective when called spanking, according to a new study. Parents and nonparents alike judged identical acts of a child's misbehavior and the subsequent corporal punishment more favorably when called 'spank' or 'swat' rather than 'slap,' 'hit' or 'beat.' The findings indicate that people buffer negative views of corporal punishment by calling it a more culturally acceptable, less violent label, the researchers said.

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