Behaviour Modification
• based on behaviourist principles of operant conditioning
• Behaviour modification programmes are aimed at reinforcing obedient behaviours in offenders snd punishing
disobedience. Hopes that the former continues and the latter dies out
Token economy
• involve reinforcing desirable behaviours using tokens that can be exchanged for a reward. The token itself is a
neutral stimulus
• Examples of this in prisons; avoiding conflict, following orders, making their beds. Prisoners get a token
whenever they display those behaviours and can exchange it for more free time, more phone calls home, access
to tobacco etc.
Reinforcement
• tokens act as reinforcers, they increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated
• items like food are primary reinforcers . Tokens are secondary reinforcers because they only become
reinforcers through repeated presentation alongside the reinforcing stimulus which also uses the principle of
classical conditioning.
• Target behaviours have to be clearly specified. There may be a hierarchy (some behaviours get more tokens
than others)
• Undesirable behaviour may get tokens taken away, an example of punishment.
Changing & shaping behaviour
• longer term, objectives or complex behaviours consist of smaller components can be taught through the
process of shaping. Tokens are given for behaviours that progressively become more complex. For example at
first prisoners get tokens for making their beds, but then they get tokens for being polite and helpful.
Example paragraphs:
One disadvantage of behaviour modification in custody is it struggles to account for individual differences.
Different people react differently to operant conditioning, some responding better than others. Violent offenders
have been found to respond quite badly whereas juvenile offenders seem to respond better. Operant conditioning is
used in behaviour modification in token economy. This isa method that uses rewards and punishment in order to
motivate the offenders to showcase more positive behaviours e.g. making their beds, being polite to prison guards
etc. the tokens can then be exchanged for things such as cigarettes, more phone calls home, more time out of
their cell etc. it also deters bad behaviours. It was proven that juvenile offenders that had the token economy used
on them were less likely to reoffend within a year of coming out of prison. However, it was also proven that
50% of men of all ages reoffend within a year
• based on behaviourist principles of operant conditioning
• Behaviour modification programmes are aimed at reinforcing obedient behaviours in offenders snd punishing
disobedience. Hopes that the former continues and the latter dies out
Token economy
• involve reinforcing desirable behaviours using tokens that can be exchanged for a reward. The token itself is a
neutral stimulus
• Examples of this in prisons; avoiding conflict, following orders, making their beds. Prisoners get a token
whenever they display those behaviours and can exchange it for more free time, more phone calls home, access
to tobacco etc.
Reinforcement
• tokens act as reinforcers, they increase the likelihood that a behaviour will be repeated
• items like food are primary reinforcers . Tokens are secondary reinforcers because they only become
reinforcers through repeated presentation alongside the reinforcing stimulus which also uses the principle of
classical conditioning.
• Target behaviours have to be clearly specified. There may be a hierarchy (some behaviours get more tokens
than others)
• Undesirable behaviour may get tokens taken away, an example of punishment.
Changing & shaping behaviour
• longer term, objectives or complex behaviours consist of smaller components can be taught through the
process of shaping. Tokens are given for behaviours that progressively become more complex. For example at
first prisoners get tokens for making their beds, but then they get tokens for being polite and helpful.
Example paragraphs:
One disadvantage of behaviour modification in custody is it struggles to account for individual differences.
Different people react differently to operant conditioning, some responding better than others. Violent offenders
have been found to respond quite badly whereas juvenile offenders seem to respond better. Operant conditioning is
used in behaviour modification in token economy. This isa method that uses rewards and punishment in order to
motivate the offenders to showcase more positive behaviours e.g. making their beds, being polite to prison guards
etc. the tokens can then be exchanged for things such as cigarettes, more phone calls home, more time out of
their cell etc. it also deters bad behaviours. It was proven that juvenile offenders that had the token economy used
on them were less likely to reoffend within a year of coming out of prison. However, it was also proven that
50% of men of all ages reoffend within a year
