behaviour modification

• behaviourist principles


  - behaviourist approach proposes that all behaviour is learned and therefore it should be possible to unlearn behaviour using the same principles

  - behaviour modification programmes reinforce obedient behaviour whilst punishing disobedience
• token economy


  - based on operant conditioning - desirable inmate behaviours are rewarded with tokens

  - desirable behaviours might include avoiding confrontation, being quiet in the cell, following rules

  - tokens may also be removed = punishment
• tokens are secondary reinforcers

  - tokens are not rewarding in themselves but rewarding because they can be exchanged for something desirable

  primary reinforcers = a phone call to a loved one, time in the gym, extra cigarettes or food
• operationalise target behaviours


  - target behaviours are operationalised by breaking them down into component parts

  - each 'unit' of behaviour should be objective and measurable and agreed with staff and prisoners in advance
• scoring system


  - staff and prisoners should be made aware of how much each behaviour is worth in terms of tokens

  - behaviours are hierarchical, some are more demanding than others

  - tokens may be awarded directly or points may be awarded and converted to tokens

  - reinforcements should outnumber punishments by a ratio of 4:1 (Gendreau et al. 2011)
• train staff


  - prison staff receive full training

  - aim is to standardise procedures - so all prison staff reward the same behaviours

  - keep record of what tokens awarded so progress of individual prisoners can be assessed
• strength


  P - research support

  E - Hobbs and Holt (1976) studied young offenders, those taking part in a token economy programme showed more positive behaviours

  E - Field et al. (2004) found some young offenders didn't respond but did if rewards were more immediate, frequent and positive

  L - suggests that token economy systems do work

  COUNTERPOINT

  - Basset and Blanchard (1977) found any benefits were lost if staff applied the techniques inconsistently due to lack of training or because of high staff turnover

  - suggests that behaviour modification schemes may not be as straightforward to implement as they first appear
• strength


  P - easy to implement

  E - behaviour modification does not need a specialist professional involved, whereas this is true for other forms of treatment e.g. anger management

  E - token economy systems can be designed and implemented by virtually anyone. They are cost-effective and easy to follow once methods have been established

  L - suggests that behaviour modification techniques can be established in most prison and accessed by most prisoners
• limitation


  P - little rehabilitative value

  E - some treatments e.g. anger management are longer lasting because they involve understanding causes of, and taking responsibility for, own behaviour

  E - in contrast, offenders can play along with token economy system to access rewards, but this produces little change in their overall character

  L - this may explain why, once the token economy is discontinued, an offender may quickly regress back to their former behaviour