Behaviour Modification

• Who did research into Behaviour Modification?

  Hobbs & Holt
• What was the sample of Hobbs & Holt's research into behaviour modification?

  125 delinquent males committed to the Alabama Boys Industrial School, ABIS, for a range of offences from truancy to arson and homicide. They were all aged between 12 and 15 from a wide variety of backgrounds and IQs. Two thirds were black, and the rest white.
• The procedure of Hobbs & Holt's research into behaviour modification (1):

  Within ABIS were four cottages where the boys stayed:

  • One acted as a 'control' cottage, not on the token economy program (TEP)
  • The other three cottages homed the boys taking part in the programme.

  The ABIS staff agreed on target behaviours, such as completing chores, following cottage rules and interacting correctly with peers. 17 well-trained staff were present.
• The procedure of Hobbs & Holt's research into behaviour modification (2):

  The boys' behaviours were recorded on a daily chart under certain categories, which were marked off when they achieved them. The boys knew about the chart and the programme - their cottage supervisors were responsible for monitoring their behaviour and managing the behaviour chart. The target behaviours and their respective value (number of tokens they would earn) were placed on signs around the cottages, informing boys of how to earn tokens and how many they would gain upon achieving each category.
• The procedure of Hobbs & Holt's research into behaviour modification (3):

  The cottage supervisor and cottage counsellor would also rate each boy's behaviour on a regular basis to ensure the reliability of the ratings and the behaviour chart. Each evening the cottage supervisor counted the boys' tokens earned and gave them their tokens printed with their names on, as well as the token value, date earned and what it was earned for.
• The procedure of Hobbs & Holt's research into behaviour modification (4):

  The boys took a trip to the token economy store on a weekly basis to exchange tokens for drinks, sweets, games and even cigarettes. Tokens could even be saved in a token bank account, which incurred interest so more expensive rewards could be purchased, such as off-campus recreational activities. Final release from ABIS was dependent upon cumulative number of tokens earned by a boy. Data was collected over 14 months