Why French Police Is Better Than The American

I’m very patriotic and love America more than most Americans, but when it comes to effectively fighting danger on the roads, I have to give props to the French. Instead of giving tickets to speeding drivers this summer, the French Police are using basic psychological principles to instead reward good drivers during the dangerous summer months as described by NPR. I believe this use of positive reinforcement will be very effective, and can only hope American police follows the French in this case.

If you had a chance of receiving a $60 gas voucher for being a safe driver, would you drive safely? I know I would. As any psychologist would tell you, providing a reward for good behavior (positive reinforcement) is much more effective in actually altering a person’s behavior than punishing someone for bad behavior (negative reinforcement).

According to numerous psychological studies on the topic described in Social Psychology (401), punishing bad behavior works in decreasing aggression if:

1. Punishment immediately follows the aggressive behavior.

2. Punishment is severe enough to deter the aggressive individual.

3. Punishment is consistently applied for the aggressive behavior and is perceived as fair and legitimate by the aggressive individual.

However, since the current police system does not work this way, it is not effective. The certainty of punishment is more important than the severity, and I’ve definitely sped on the highway before without being given a ticket as have you.

Furthermore, in our overburdened courts and overcrowded prisons, punishment for a crime can feel more like a biased lottery than a rational system in which punishment fits the crime. This feeling of unfairness and police aggression toward the criminal can provoke retaliation and continue an escalating cycle of aggression.

Now, I’m not saying that crime should not be punished. I really believe it should, especially murder and rape. But imagine if the Police spends some of our tax dollars by rewarding individuals on parole or those likely to commit a crime for NOT committing a crime or being clean of drugs. Although, this might not solve the crime problem completely, I think this would be a better use of the tax dollars than supporting an additional individual in prison for life. What do you think?

Article image by mtmlinguasoft.com.