forensic: behaviour modification in custody Flashcards
What is the goal of behaviour modification programmes?
To reinforce obedient behaviour and punish disobedience
What is token economy based on?
Operant conditioning
desirable behaviour are reinforced through selective reinforcement
Fill in the blank: In a prison, prisoners receive a token for performing _______ behaviours.
desirable
What are examples of desirable behaviours in a prison setting?
- Avoiding confrontation
- Following prison rules
- Keeping one’s cell orderly
Tokens may be withheld or removed if prisoners don’t comply with the rules
Why are tokens called secondary reinforcers?
They derive their value from their association with rewards
What can tokens be exchanged for in a prison setting?
- Phone calls
- Time in the gym or exercise yard
- Food
- Cigarettes
these are primary reinforcers
What are the three important actions when designing a token economy system?
- Operationalise target behaviours
- Have a scoring system
- Train staff to implement the token economy system successfully
These actions ensure effective implementation and management of the token economy.
Give an example of an operationalised target behaviour in a token economy.
Improved interaction with other prison inmates
operationalised: not touching another prisoner as you pass them, speaking
politely to others
Why is it important for staff and prisoners to be aware of the scoring system in a token economy?
To understand how much each particular behaviour is ‘worth’
Awareness promotes consistency and fairness in the implementation of the token economy.
True or False: In a token economy, all behaviours are considered equally demanding.
False
Some behaviours are regarded as more demanding and receive greater rewards.
Provide an example of a hierarchical behaviour reward in a token economy.
Awarding more tokens for ‘working co-operatively on a group task’ than for ‘not swearing’
hierarchy helps prioritize more valuable behaviours.
What are the different methodssome token economy systems use to award tokens?
Award tokens directly or award points converted to tokens
The recommendation is that reinforcements should outnumber punishments by a ratio of
4:1 (Gendreau et al, 2011)
why is it important to train staff
- In order for it to be implemented successfully
- The aim is to standardise the procedures so that all prison staff are rewarding the same behaviours in the same way
- Staff must also record when they have awarded tokens so the progress of individual
prisoners can be assessed
AO3: ethical issues
behaviour modification poses ethical issues
Critics have described behaviour modification as manipulative and dehumanising. This is because participation in the scheme is obligatory rather than optional, > human rights campaigners argue that withdrawal of ‘privileges,’such as exercise and contact with loved ones (in the form of withdrawal of tokens) is unethical
limitation because it can be argued that the potential benefits of behaviour modification do not outweigh the ethical issues, as prisoners will be denied of their basic human rights
AO3: little rehabilitative value
it may not affect long-term behaviour
Ronald Blackburn (1993) suggets behaviour modification has ‘little rehabilitative value’ and any positive changes in behaviour that may occur whilst an offender is in prison may quickly be lost when they are released.
More cognitive-based treatments such as anger management, may be more likely to lead to permanent behavioural
change.
Such treatments require the offender to understand the cause of their offending and to take responsibility for their own rehabilitation.
In contrast, offenders can easily ‘play along’ with a token economy system in order to access the rewards, but this produces little change in their overall character
LIMITATION as once the token economy is discontinued, an offender may quickly regress back to their former behaviour
AO3: easy to implement
it is relatively straightforward to set up in custody
it can be administered easily
There is no need for a specialist professional to be involved as there would be with other forms of
treatment such as anger management > token economy systems can be designed and implemented by virtually anyone in any institution
STRENGTH because it suggests that behaviour modification techniques can be established in most prisons and accessed by most prisoners
Furthermore, token economies are also cost effective and easy to follow once workable reinforcement have been established,
AO3: research to support
Hobbs and Holt (1976) introduced a token economy programme with** groups of young offenders** across three behavioural
units (and a fourth unit acted as a ‘control’). They observed a significant difference in positive behaviour compared to the
non-token economy group.
Field et al (2004) found a token economy programme used with young people with behavioural problems was generally effective, although there were still a number of young people who did not respond. Later, these
youths were placed on a special programme where the rewards were more immediate and more frequent and the results were more positive
STRENGTH because the evidence suggests that token economy systems do work for offenders, leading to a positive behaviour change
COUNTER: the success of such systems does depend on a consistent approach from prison staff. Bassett and Blanchard (1977) found
any benefits were lost if staff applied the techniques inconsistently
According to the researchers, this was due to factors such as lack of appropriate staff training or high staff turnover (the latter is a
feature of many UK prisons) suggests that behaviour modification schemes must ensure full and consistent staff participation if they are to work
