Buttercup, your whole arguement that "mommy and daddy did it" and current parents "don't know" any other methods is incorrect.
Spanking is not hereditary. Sure, maybe people that were spanked are more likely to do it, but that is not a hard fast rule.
I am a very educated person, having taken many psychology courses at the University Level, nursing school, etc.
I know more psychology and sociology than my parents ever did. But guess what? If my child(ren) backtalk or do something that warrants it, their bottoms will be swatted....
It has nothing to do with my parents' discipline of me, nor education. It just works for some kids.
AND implying that you need to "investigate" pediatricians who spank their own kids just really shows that you don't understand the difference between child abuse, and appropriate disciplinary spanking.