Lesson 10 - Behaviour Modification

Question 1

What is the Behaviourist approach?

Answer 1

The behaviourist approach suggests that all behaviour our is learned and can therefore be unlearned by using the same principles which were used to learn the behaviour in the first place.

Question 2

What is Behaviour Modification?

Answer 2

Behaviour Modification is a behavioural therapy based on principles of operant conditioning, which involves the systematic use of positive and negative reinforcement for desired behaviours.

Question 3

What is an example of Behaviour Modification?

Answer 3

Token Economy

Question 4

What is Token Economy?

Answer 4

Token Economy is a from of behaviour modification used in prisons where desirable behaviours are reinforced through the use of a token which can be then exchanged for some type of reward.

Question 5

What are 3 examples of a desirable behaviour in prisons?

Answer 5

Avoiding conflict
Following prison rules
Keeping your cell orderly
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Question 6

What are 4 examples of a reward?

Answer 6

A phone call to a loved one
Time in the gym
Extra food
Extra cigarettes

Question 7

What is the primary reinforcer?

Answer 7

The reward

Question 8

What is the secondary reinforcer?

Answer 8

Tokens (as they want the token (secondary) so that they can get the reward (primary)).

Question 9

What is the positive reinforcement and what is the negative reinforcement in Token Economy?

Answer 9

Positive reinforcement - The tokens which lead to the reward

Negative reinforcement - Tokens being withheld when offenders are disobedient and non-compliant.

Question 10

What are increments?

Answer 10

Increments is the term used to refer to the desirable behaviour broken down into smaller steps.

Question 11

What is the role of the prison official?

Answer 11

The prison official monitor’s the programme’s effectiveness on the management of the prison as a whole, as well as on individual offenders.

Question 12

What is an advantage of Behaviour Modification?

Answer 12

+ Token Economy is very easy to conduct and does not require expert professionals or specialised equipment but can be carried out by anyone. Token Economy is also cost-effective and easy to follow once the method of reinforcement has been established.

Question 13

What are 4 disadvantages of Behaviour Modification?

Answer 13

• Token Economy fails to work if staff are not consistent. If staff lack the appropriate training or if there is a high staff turnover, consistency may become problematic.
• Critics of Token Economy have suggested that it is unethical where in some prisons, the programme is obligatory where they do not have the right to withdraw. Even though offenders can ultimately choose to obey or disobey rules, the withdrawal of privileges such as exercise or speaking to loved ones can be both physically and psychologically harmful.
• Behaviour modification only deals with surface behaviour. Other treatments go deeper and require the offender to reflect on their crimes so that they take responsibility for their rehabilitation - not really learning why their crime was wrong.
• As behaviour modification can only be used in a controlled environment, any positive behavioural change that occurs when an offender is in prison will quickly be lost once they’re released because the law-abiding behaviour is not always reinforced in the real world as it is when in prison. Furthermore, offenders may never actually experience a positive behavioural change in prison and may just be merely ‘playing along’ with the programme in order to get rewards - not really learning to change their behaviour.