Simon Says

 In yesterday’s blog I wrote that people all over England were deciding whether or not to break the law. It was a question of deciding who or what we loved the most. I do mean England; the same thing isn’t happening in Scotland and Wales and the difference is communication and a phenomenon that my lecturer used to call sticks and carrots. 

Psychologists love to study the things that motivate behaviour. Naturally, we believe that the sticks approach is the best. Tell people they can’t do something and explain they will be punished if they do. We think this will work because they are still in the mindset of toddlers. “Be good, or you’ll go on the naughty step,” or if you were born in the sixties, “Do you want a smack?” It’s logical to think that you can motivate people through fear. After many years of study, though, psychologists have discovered that fear isn’t a very good motivator; it tends to paralyse. 

As children grow up, the star chart becomes more popular. As society grows up, rewards are more popular. Let’s face it, none of us really want to hurt our children. We say, “If you get 5 stars then you can have a treat.” This is popular in schools. No longer can a child be beaten - the most draconian punishments removed by law - so educators had to find better ways to motivate children.  

However, as all parents know one of the best ways to get your children to do what you want it to explain it to them. If it makes sense then they’ll not do it. I clearly remember, when I was young, my dad explaining why we had to be careful with knives with the use of a carrot that we were told to imagine as a finger. We got it. The lesson he gave wasn’t just fear based. He showed us how to avoid our fingers when we chopped, which is quite lucky because otherwise I’d never have used a sharp knife again. He was probably motivated to give this lesson because he chopped the end of his finger off when he was three. It was soon after the end of the war and bananas had just come back into the shops. His mum bought him one on the way back from the doctor and he ate it with the skin on, which, whenever he told the story was always the worst part. The countries that have good compliance from their citizens have explained the situation. People in Scotland, Wales and Germany have been happy to accept the restrictions because they understand why and it makes sense.

Someone has told our government that the general public are unlikely to strictly stick to this lockdown; that they’ve chosen who they love most and it’s not Boris. Psychologists will have advised them that the disastrous ‘next slide’ conference, where we couldn’t read any of the slides hasn’t helped at all. It doesn’t help that the laws are confusing and there are no rewards for some who do the right thing. (Pay people who have tested positive if they stay at home and they probably will)

Someone had explained all this to the government and so we had another Boris conference to explain the lockdown. This time, instead of the unholy trinity, he had found some bloke called Simon. Simon said that the NHS was about to stop coping. He showed one slide and an animation and told us that the number of people in hospital with coronavirus was equivalent to 22 full hospitals in the country. That was a clear, terrifying message. It may have frightened us into action, although I feel it was more likely to paralyse us. 

Boris could have followed this scary message with an oppressive instruction. 

“Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives, or you will be fined £10,000 and the police will chop your feet off.” 

However, he tried a new tactic.

Those of use with children, or who work with them know that it is easier to get kids to do what you want if it’s fun. They learn well through play.

 Boris thought, “I know, I’ll make it a game.”

“Simon says, stay at home.”

“As Simon says, the NHS is overwhelmed, take the virus seriously.”

Oh no. Simon says. We’ve got to do it now, right?

I worry, though, because Boris clearly hasn’t played Simon Says with anyone in a long time. There are always one or two who get it wrong on purpose because it’s funny and the whole game descends  into giggling anarchy.

I’m sure I’m not alone but I do think it’s time the government stopped treating us like children and stopped acting like the worst parents on the planet. Give us clear instructions and reward the people who are being disproportionately affected. Explain the situation and give us agency.