Behaviour modification in custody Flashcards
What is behaviour modification?
Aims to effectively manage/moinitor offenders during their sentence + reduce likelihood of reoffending.
Assumption = all human behaviour = learnt.
.: possible to encourage unlearning of behaviour.
Reinforce obedient behaviour in offenders +
Reward = repeated
Punishment = extinction
What are token economy systems based upon?
Operant conditioning (rewarding desirable behaviour)
Prisoners given token every time they perform desirable behaviour.
Non-compliance + disobedience = token withheld/removed = punishment.
What are tokens?
Secondary reinforcers
No value in themselves
Exchange for primary reinforcer (e.g: phone call)
Describe how to design a token economy system?
Operationalising target behaviours (measurable + objective)
Staff + prisoners made aware of scoring system.
Behaviour = hierarchical –> some receive greater rewards.
Reinforcement should outnumber punishment 4:1 (Gendreau et al. 2011)
Procedures = standardised –> all prison staff aearding same behaviours in same way.
Define behaviour modification?
Applying behaviourist principles top the management of offenders in penal institutions.
State the 7 componments of behaviour modification:
1.Target behaviours identified
2.Types of token decided
3.Primary reinforcers identifed
4.Reinforcement schedule is decided
5.Exchange criterion
6.Time/place for exchange is decided
7.Penalty/fine for engaging in undesirable behaviours.
Define behaviour shaping:
Desired behaviours broken into incriments + selectively reinforced
More complex behaviours.
Define primary/secondary reinforcer
Primary: Desirable material items, activities/service
Secondary: Tokens received for achieving target behaviours –> vlaue associated with primary reinforcer.
Define selective reinforcement:
Rewarding specific behaviours that are identified at the start; not responding to behvaiours that are undesirbale + needing to be extinguished.
Key study aim:
Hobbs + Holt (1976)
Token economy for state training school for adolescent delinquents (12-15)
Aim was to reduce inappropriate social behaviour before + after dinner when lining up.
Procedure of key study:
Staff given instensive training:
Idenify + define target behaviours + discuss methods of observing/recording data.
125 observed in 4 groups (1= control)
Boys told target criteria + how many tokens they could earn each category
Able to go shops + buy sweets.
Findings of key study:
Control group showed no increase of social behaviour.
Post tokens in 3 groups = 91%, 81% + 94%
Average increase of 27%
Evaluation of token economy
Research support:
Field et al (2004)
Found T.E.P used with young people = effective HOWEVER still number who didn’t respond.
Later these youths placed on special program where rewards more immediate + more frequent = lead to more positive results
COUNTERPOINT
Success of TEP depends on consistent approach from prison staff.
Bassett + Blanchard (1977) found benefits were lost of staff applied techniques inconsistently.
Inappropriate staff training/ high staff turnover
–> suggests behaviour modification systems can work well =–> only if full/consistent staff participation ensured
Evaluation of TEP
Easy to implement
Relatively straightforward to set up + run in custody
No need for specialist professionals to be involved –> would be other forms of treatment.
–> designed + implimented by virtually anyone in institution
Cost effective
Easy to follow once system been established
Suggests behaviour modification techqniues can be established in most prisons + accessed by most prisoners
Evaluation of TEP:
Little rehabilitative value.
May not affect long term behaviour
Blackburn (1993) –> suggests any positive change in behaviour made whilst in prison would quickly be lost once prisoners released
Focused on changing behaviour rather than personality/ways of thinking.
No need for prisoners to understand why they offend –> easy for prisoners to fake it to get reward
Suggests underlying causes of offending not addressed so coginitive based treatments like anger management more successful.
