Behaviour Modification in custody

Question 1

what are behaviourist principals?

Answer 1

maladaptive behaviour can be unlearned by positively reinforcing obedient behaviours

Question 2

what is token economy?

Answer 2

• operant conditioning
• tokens are secondary reinforces for the actual rewards like cigarettes and visits
• tokens can be removed as punishment

Question 3

what is changing behaviour?

Answer 3

• desired behaviour broken down into increments and each step reinforced
• all those in contact with prisoners must follow same regime of enforcement (like guards and other prisoners)

Question 4

what research is there into token economy?

Answer 4

• Hobbs and Holt (76) brought token economy to 3 units of young prisoners (and 4th control unit)
• found large difference in positive behaviour than than the control group

+ Allyon (79) study replicated with adult prisoners with similar effects

Question 5

+ reinforcement easy to implement

Answer 5

• easy to implement reinforcement like token economy as no professional is required and its cheap to do

Question 6

+/- system works well short term

Answer 6

• proven to improve short term behaviour while in prison
• however its usually lost upon released as prison isn’t same as real world and there no one in the real world to keep reinforcing the behaviours

Question 7

• Ethical issues

Answer 7

• Moya (74) involves withdrawal of privileges as punishment which, in the case of things like food and visits, can be manipulative and dehumanising
• prisoners can’t withdraw from token economy