Token economies

• behaviour modification in custody

  uses the behaviourist approach by reinforcing good behaviour and punishing bad behaviour
• Token economies for behaviour modification

  Based on the principle of operant conditioning - tokens are given immediately each time offenders perform a desirable behaviour such as avoiding conflict
• secondary reinforcers

  the tokens themselves
• primary reinforcers

  rewards the prisoners can access in exchange for tokens
• steps in designing a token economy

  1. operationalise target behaviours
  2. establish a scoring system
  3. train staff
• 1. operationalise target behaviours

  identify the target behaviours and break them down into components, ensure they are objective, measurable and agreed with staff and prisoners
• 2. establish a scoring system

  decide how much each behaviour is worth and ensure staff and prisoners are aware of the system
• 3. train staff

  all prison staff should be rewarding the same behaviours in the same way and should record tokens they reward to progress can be assessed
• Hobbs & Holt (1976)

  observed a token economy system in a training system for boys aged 12 - 15, designed to improve behaviour before and after dinner

  — 125 boys lived in 4 cottages and one control group didn’t have the system applied - social behaviours increased by an average of 27%
• Cullen & Seddon (1981)

  Implemented a token economy system for 6 months in a young offenders institution

  • behaviour in the unit improved and the system supported learning of new skills

  However staff training and consistency were key issues
• Basset & Blanchard (1977)

  Found that benefits of token economies were easily lost if there were inconsistencies in how the staff applied the system
• positive evaluation of token economies for behaviour modification

  easy to implement - no need for specialist professionals and are cost effective
• negative evaluations of token economies for behaviour modification

  • unethical - regarded as manipulative and dehumanising, prisoners who don‘t earn tokens are denied basic privileges
  • does not rehabilitate - only encourages superficial learning and produces little change in overall character - positive changes will be lost when they stop receiving tokens