FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY - dealing with offending behaviour: Behaviour modification in custody

Question 1

Explain the behaviourist principles?

Answer 1

Behavioural modification programs are designed to reinforce obedient behaviour offenders whilst punishing disobedience.

AIM = replace undesirable behaviours with more desirable ones through positive and negative reinforcement.

Question 2

What is token economy based on?

Answer 2

operant conditioning

Question 3

Explain how token economy work?

Answer 3

• prisoners are given a token each time they perform a desirable behaviour eg following prison rules
• B4 programme is set up = behaviour and rewards are made clear
• disobedience = tokens will be removed

Question 4

How are tokens secondary reinforcers?

Answer 4

• They derive value from rewards
• rewards are primary reinforcers

Question 5

how do you design and use a token economy?

Answer 5

1- operationalise target behaviour = behaviour is broken down into target parts

2- scoring systems = staff and prisoners are made aware of how much each reward is worth

3- train staff = standardise procedures so that all prison staff are rewarding the behaviours the same way.

Question 6

Give strengths of Behaviour Modification.

Answer 6

+ RESEARCH SUPPORT - Hobbs + Holt (1976) = noted a significance in positive behaviour in the group that received the tokens.
Field et al (2004) = token economy system (TES) were generally effective for young people with behavioural problems. Effectiveness was increased when rewards were frequent and immediate = token economy systems do work

+ EASY TO IMPLEMENT = This could be widely used as it is easy to use and does not require specialist professionals ( in the way some therapy programmes do.)

Question 7

Give limitations of behaviour modification.

Answer 7

• TES only successful when consistently used by prison staff
  eg Bassett and Blanchard = benefits were lost as rewards were not used consistently due to staff turnover as lack of training.
• may not impact behaviour in the long term
  eg Blackburn = +ve changes were lost once prisoners were released as the TES does not continue on the outside = with TES the prisoner may “play the system”

-Ethical issues
eg Moya and Achtenberg –>
TES = dehumanising and manipulative
- offenders aren’t given the choice to participate
- withdrawing privileges is also ethically questionable