Summary Of No Spanking No Time-Out, No Problem By Khazan

Writers tend to use various methods when attempting to persuade their reader. Although numerous approaches exist when discussing persuasion, in the article “No Spanking, No Time-Out, No Problem” writer Olga Khazan persuades her reader by explaining the issues and offering better improving techniques, using rhetoric devices such as pathos, and by using tone of voice.

Khazan explains the controversial topic of punishing one’s child by attempting to persuade parents to change their disciplining style (Khazan). Khazan proposes his purpose that though punishment might make a parent feel more at peace with themselves, it will not correct the child’s bad behavior (Khazan). Kazdin explains that when a child refuses to comply with their parents, parents

However, in “No Spanking, No Time-Out, No Problem” Khazan mainly uses Pathos. Pathos appeals to one’s emotion and sensibilities. Writers often use Pathos to connect with their reader on an emotional level and to influence their reader to feel a certain emotion whether that be depressed, joyful, outraged, or any additional desired emotion (Welcome to the Purdue OWL). In the article, Kazdin immediately evokes instant emotion from parents by talking about the controversial topic of punishing one’s child. For example, when Kazdin uses the words “punishing” and “spanking” to evoke emotion that manipulates parents into feeling guilty about their parenting style (Khazan). Kazdin also evokes emotion from parents when he begins to describe horrifically abused children because parents feel sympathy for the children who suffer abuse from their loved ones (Khazan). This possibly could also make parents feel prideful because, though they may not resemble super parents, they do not abuse their own children. Kadin also evokes emotion when the parent reads “Mom, you’re are such a bitch. What have you ever done for me? You only think of yourself” (Khazan). This statement could immediately cause parents to feel furious because their teenage child could have made a nasty remark comparable to this one. This statement could also

Kazdin uses a positive tone of voice to better influence the reader. Cell press research presents that “…the brains of infants as young as 7 months old demonstrate a sensitivity to the human voice and to emotions communicated through the voice that is remarkably similar to what is observed in the brains of adults (Cell Press).” This research shows that depending on the sensitivity of one’s voice towards another, depends on the positive response. Kazdin suggests that parents use a “nice, gentle tone of voice” to ask instead of telling their child to do something (Khazan). By doing this, it not only brings a better response from the child, it also positively influences parents to try this technique because of the writer’s positive and assuring tone of voice (Khazan). Kazdin also uses a positive tone of voice to persuade parents when instead of accusing the “middle class” parents and condemning their parenting style, Kazdin instead gives credit to parents who are constantly stressed, exhausted, and doing the best they can to get through the day (Khazan). When Kazdin talks about the fact that a person’s brain can pick out negativity in whatever environment that person may reside and shows another example of the importance of a positive tone when talking about persuasion (Khazan). This demonstrates that Kazdin does not want to give a negative tone of voice with parents who poorly discipline their child, but