Dealing with Offending Behaviour - Behaviour Modification

Question 1

What is behaviour modification?

Answer 1

-application of the behaviourist approach to treatment
-based on the principles of operant conditioning

Question 2

What is the aim of behaviour modification?

Answer 2

-replace undesirable behaviours with more desirables ones
-through the selective used of positive and negative reinforcement

Question 3

When are tokens given?

Answer 3

-desirable behaviour like avoiding confrontation
-may be given a token each time they perform a decibel behaviour

Question 4

How do token economies work?

Answer 4

-they derive their value from their association with a reward
-secondary reinforcers

Question 5

What could tokens be exchanged for?

Answer 5

-a phone call to a loved one
-exercise
-extra food
(primary reinforcers)

Question 6

What are the 3 parts to designing a token economy?

Answer 6

1. operationalise target behaviours
2. scoring system
3. train staff

Question 7

How do you operationalise target behaviours?

Answer 7

-behaviour is broken down into components
-should be objective and measurable
eg. target of improved interaction with inmates
-may be broken down into not touching another prisoner as you pass them

Question 8

What is a scoring system?

Answer 8

-staff and prisoners should be made aware of how much each particular behaviour is ‘worth’
-behaviours are hierarchal - more demanding = greater reward

Question 9

What is the recommendation for reinforcements?

Answer 9

-should outnumber punishments by 4:1

Question 10

What is train staff?

Answer 10

-prison staff are given full training
-in order to implement the token economy effectively
-may involve several hours for a number of weeks

Question 11

What is the aim of training staff?

Answer 11

-to standardised procedures
-all prison staff are rewarding the same behaviours in the same way

Question 12

What is a strength of behaviour modification? - research support

Answer 12

-there is evidence to support it
-Hobbs + Holt - introduced a token economy programme with groups of young offenders across 3 behavioural units
-observed significant difference in positive behaviour compared to the non-token economy group
-Field also found that token economy used with young people with behavioural problems was generally effective
-these youths were later placed on a programme where the rewards were more immediate and more frequent

Question 13

What is a counterpoint to the strength of behaviour modification in terms of research support?

Answer 13

-the success of such systems depends on a consistent approach from prison staff
-Bassett + Blanchard found any benefits were lost if staff applied the techniques inconsistently
-this was due to factors such as lack of appropriate staff strange or high staff turnover
-suggests that behaviour modification schemes must ensure full + consistent staff participation if they are to work

Question 14

What is a strength of behaviour modification? - easy to implement

Answer 14

-straight forward to set up in custody
-the appeal of behaviour modification rests largely upon the ease with which it can be administered
-no need for specialist professionals to be involved as there wold be for other forms of treatment like anger management
-can be designed and implemented by virtually anyone in any institution
-cost effective and easy to follow once workable methods of reinforcement have been established

Question 15

What was Hobb + Holt’s study?

Answer 15

-sample of all adolescent boys
-aim to reduce inappropriate before and after dinner
-staff were trained, and rewards included sweets and trips
-increased positive behaviour was 27% compared to a no change for the control

Question 16

What is a limitation of behaviour modification?

Answer 16

-may not affect long term behaviour
-Blackburn - behaviour modification has little rehabiltive value and any positive changes in behaviour that may occur in prison may be lost when they are released
-more cognitive based treatments may be more likely to lead to permanent behavioural change
-such treatments require the offender to understand the cause and take responsibility for their own rehab
-may explain why, once the token economy is discontinued, an offender may quickly regress back to their former behaviour

Question 17

What evidence is there of behaviour modification in the custodial setting?

Answer 17

-largely successful in schools with children with autism
-less effective in prisons
-Cohen + Flipcjack - found reduction in offending after 2 years but recidivism occurred in the 3rd years
-suggesting the benefits are short term

Question 18

What is a contradiction to behaviour modification? - violent offenders

Answer 18

-Rice
-studied 92 men in a Canadian security psychiatric hospital
-found that 50% of the men treated using the token economy reoffended
-supported by Raine
-found lower activation of the ANS of violent criminals
-argues that violent offenders do not learn as effectively through classical conditioning

Question 19

What are the ethical concerns associated with behaviour modification?

Answer 19

-violates human rights as individuals are being manipulated - not always with their agreement
-involving prisoners in developing the target behaviours can overcome this
-impulsive criminal may not respond to token economy therefore they will never be able to acquire tokens