Dealing With Offending Behaviour: Behaviour Modification In Custody

Question 1

Advantages over other methods of rehabilitation:

Bassett and Blanchard (1977)

Answer 1

this system is clearly defined and thus easier to implement. The prison staff can think about what behaviours are desirable and increase them. They can also improve the prison environment

It can also occur without trained psychologists. However staff must remain consistent

B&B: found that a failing youth economy system was improved by re-establishing consistency

Question 2

Success of token economies in custody

Tarbox et. al (2006)

Answer 2

T: this approach has proved very successful for schools and dealing with autumn.

but it has been less successful with prison populations. At first criminal behaviour diminished and socially approved behaviours increased but these good results didn’t persist

Question 3

Short vs. Long term goals:

Moyes et. al (1985)

Answer 3

In the ST a token economy can improve behaviour and the prison environment
M: however, he suggests that this system has little effect on re-offending rates

one reason can be explained by operant conditioning: once the rewards stop, the stimulus-response link is extinguished.

also the behaviours implemented may not reflect reality (i.e. walking in a straight line) thus perhaps prisoners should be rewarded with more ‘natural’ behaviours so they can reintegrate into society

Question 4

Individual differences:
Cohen and Filipcjak (1971)
Rice et. al (1990)

Answer 4

some people respond better to operant conditioning than others i.e. young delinquents rather than violent/mentally ill offenders

C&F: found that juvenile delinquents who had been trained with a token economy system were less likely to reoffend after a year

R: studied men in a psychiatric unit and found that 50% of men treated this way reoffended