behaviour modification Flashcards
Behaviourist principles
All behaviour is learned - unlearning should also be possible
- Behaviour modification programmes
- Reinforce obedient behaviour, punish disobedience
Token economy
Operant conditioning
- Reward desirable behaviours with tokens
- Withhold/remove them for disobedience
- Can be used to get primary reinforcers eg cigarettes
Reinforcers
Tokens are secondary reinforcers, derive value from being associated with a primary reinforcer
Primary reinforcer
Tangible rewards eg cigarettes, free time
Designing and using a token economy
- Operationalise target behaviours
- Scoring system
- Train system
Operationalise target behaviours
Break desirable behaviour down into components (objective, measurable)
- Improved interaction may be speaking politely
Should be agreed with prison staff and inmates
Scoring system
Amount of reward for each behaviour, hierarchical system
Gendreau et al - reinforcements should outnumber punishments by 4:1
Train staff
Must reward same behaviours in same ways and assess progress
- Standardise the procedures
EVAL - research support
P - strength Is theres evidence to support it
E - Hobbs and Holt - token economy with young offenders across three behavioural units - significant difference in positive behaviour compares to non-token economy group
E - Field et a - token economy used with young people with behavioural problems was generally effective - number of people who did not respond - these played in programme where rewards more immediate and frequent and saw improvement
L - shows token economy systems do work
P - limited as success dependant on consistent approach from prison staff
E - Bassett and Blanchard - benefits lost if staff applied the techniques inconsistently
E - due to factors such as lack of appropriate staff training or high staff turnover
L - suggests that behaviour modification schemes must ensure full and consistent staff participation if they are to work
EVAL - easy to implement
P - strength is it is straightforward to set up in custody
E - ease with which it can be administered - no need for a specialist professional to be involved as there would be for other forms such as anger management
E - cost-effective and easy to follow
L - behaviour modification techniques can be established in most prisons and accessed by most prisoners
EVAL - little rehabilitative value
P - limited as may not affect long-term behaviour
E - Blackburn - behaviour modification has little rehabilitative value - lost when released
E - more cognitive-based treatments eg anger management - more permanent change - offenders also can play along with token economy with little change to character
L - may explain why an offender may quickly regress back to former behaviour
EVAL - ethical issues
P - behaviour modification programmes associated with decreased conflict within institutions and management of prison population
E - can reduce pressure and stress on prison staff in which can be a hostile and difficult environment
E - however, critics has described behaviour modification as manipulative and dehumanising - Moya and Achtenberg
L - obligatory participation and withdrawal of ‘privileges’ such as exercise is unethical
