Behaviour Modification In Custody Content Flashcards
What is a token economy?
A form of therapy where desirable behaviours are encouraged by the use of selective reinforcements. Tokens (the reward) are given as a secondary reinforcers when individually engage in socially desirable behaviour. These tokens can be exchanged for primary reinforcers e.g food or privileges
What is the significance of the tokens acting as reinforcers?
It increases the likelihood of the behaviour being repeated
What is the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?
Primary reinforcer: the original reinforcing stimulus that provides a pleasurable response e.g food
Secondary reinforcer: a reinforcer that appears after repeated presentation with the primary reinforcer
Almost like operant conditioning on classical conditioning
How must a token economy include behavioural categories?
. Behaviours that deserve tokens the most (target behaviours) should be clearly defined
. A hierarchy of behaves could possibly be made to determine which behaviours receive the most amount of tokens
Simply giving a reward to all behaviours wouldn’t work in prison systems as some behaviours aren’t worth rewarding as highly e.g simply not beating someone up
How are the primary reinforcers created in a token economy?
They are well operationalised rewards that are fairly in line with the level of reward needed for a certain behaviour
How can punishment work in a token economy?
Removing tokens due to an undesirable behaviour could cause the individual to not repeat that undesirable behaviour
What is the idea of shaping in a token economy?
Some behaviours are complex and a more long-term objectives. Especially in prisons when individuals may have a significant block against desirable behaviours, these behaviours can be hard to learn and to repeat.
Shaping allows tokens to be given to smaller behaviours (making bed) initially, before only being given for more complex behaviours such as being polite to prison guards
What was the aim of Hobbs and Holt (1976)?
To reduce inappropriate social behaviour before and after dinner, as well as when lining up
What is significant about the Alabama Boys industrial school that the Hobbs and Holt study took place at?
It was a state training school for adolescent DELINQUENTS (12-15 yrs old)
How was the token economy for the Hobbs and Holt study set up? (Training phase)
. Staff at centre received extensive training: 3x4 hours and then training twice weekly over two months
- identified target behaviours
- discussed methods of observing and recording data (covert/non-covert/timed sample/)
- discuss any logistical problems with the programme
Every week after the training phase, the operation of the programme was assessed and talked about
What was the sample size, as well as the experimental group, control group, IV and DV?
125 delinquent males observed living in four cottages
. Control group: one cottage which didn’t receive any tokens
. Experimental group: other three cottages that ran on a token economy
. IV: number of tokens received
. DV: level of inappropriate behaviour
How did the Hobbs and Holt study reduce the effects of extraneous variables?
Baseline data on social behaviour was collected for all groups, to determine how much the social behaviour had been affected by the token economy rather than other pre-determined factors
How was the data for the Hobbs and Holt study collected?
. Behaviour recorded on a daily chart where two supervisors recorded what each boy did in the behavioural categories
What were some of the behaviours categories for the boys in the Hobbs and Holt study?
. Following cottage rules e.g no smoking during games
. Before dinner: completing assigned chores
. After dinner: interacting with peers 30-50% of the time (operationalised)
. Line behaviour: walking in a straight line
How were the boys given standardised instructions and informed well on the procedure of the token economy?
. Boys told target behaviours and how many tokens could be earned for each category
. Boys told how many tokens they’d earned each day and given a piece of paper with this info
