NCJ Number
54375
Date Published
1974
Length
41 pages
Annotation
THREE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION EXPERIMENTS CONDUCTED IN A COMMUNITY-BASED, FAMILY-STYLE GROUP HOME FOR PREDELINQUENT FEMALES IN LAWRENCE, KANS., ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
THE STUDY SUBJECTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 12 TO 16, AND THE EXPERIMENTS INVOLVED FROM 4 TO 6 SUBJECTS EACH. SUBJECTS WERE CLASSIFIED BY THE JUVENILE COURT AS WAYWARD, TRUANT, INCORRIGIBLE, OR MISCREANT AND PLACED IN THE HOME FOR AN INDEFINITE LENGTH OF TIME. AMONG THEIR SOCIAL DEFICIENCIES WERE FREQUENT ARGUING AND POUTING IN RESPONSE TO CRITICISM, FAILURE TO GREET PEOPLE, AND UNWILLINGNESS TO WEAR DRESSES. IN THE FIRST EXPERIMENT, SUBJECTS WERE TAUGHT APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO CRITICISM THROUGH A TREATMENT PROCEDURE IN WHICH THEY ROLE-PLAYED APPROPRIATE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS IN PRACTICE SESSIONS, RECEIVED POINT INCENTIVES AND PRAISE FOR APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, AND WERE ASSESSED LARGE FINES FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR. THE COMBINATION OF TOKEN REINFORCEMENT (POINTS), SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT, AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES WAS SUCCESSFUL IN MODIFYING THE SUBJECTS' INAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR. IN THE SECOND EXPERIMENT, GREETING BEHAVIOR (SAYING 'GOOD MORNING,' 'HELLO,' OR 'GOODBYE' AT APPROPRIATE TIMES) WAS INCREASED BY A PROCEDURE THAT INVOLVED INSTRUCTIONS AND PRAISE. IN THE THIRD EXPERIMENT, INSTRUCTIONS AND PRAISE WERE USED TO INCREASE THE SUBJECTS' DRESS WEARING. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.