CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT IN A CELLBLOCK TOKEN ECONOMY REDUCING RULE VIOLATIONS AND MAXIMIZING THE EFFECTS OF TOKEN REINFORCEMENT

• NCJ Number: 64856
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 307-325
• Author(s): M A MILAN; W R THROCKMORTON; J M MCKEE; L F WOOD
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): 21-01-73-38
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Labor
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc; UMI Dissertation Services; Institute for Scientific Information
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRICE QUOTED FOR SAGE IS FOR THE ENTIRE ISSUE.

Annotation

TWO STUDIES DEMONSTRATE HOW DEEMPHASIS OF PUNISHMENT AND AVERSIVE CONTROL PROCEDURES IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN OCCUR IF APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED CONTINGENCIES OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT ARE IMPLEMENTED.

Abstract

THE STUDIES, PERFORMED WITH 56 IMPRISONED ADULT FELONS, AIMED TO EXPAND THE GENERALITY OF THE USE OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT PROCEDURES TO MODIFY UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR AND TO IDENTIFY THE FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAGNITUDE OF TOKEN REINFORCEMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF A DESIRED ACTIVITY. IN THE FIRST STUDY, A REVERSAL DESIGN WITH A FOLLOWUP COMPONENT INDICATED THAT THE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF RULE FOLLOWING WAS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE OCCURRENCE OF RULE VIOLATIONS AND THAT THE EFFECT OF THE PROCEDURE APPEARED TO BE PARTIALLY IRREVERSIBLE. THE SECOND STUDY USED AN EXPANDED REVERSAL DESIGN TO DETERMINE THE PROGRESSIVE EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE OF SUCCESSIVE INCREASES IN THE MAGNITUDE OF TOKEN REINFORCEMENT AND TO COMPARE THESE EFFECTS FOR CLIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT A LONG HISTORY OF PARTICIPATION IN A TOKEN ECONOMY. IT WAS FOUND THAT EACH SUCCESSIVE INCREASE IN REINFORCEMENT MAGNITUDE PRODUCED PROPORTIONALLY SMALLER INCREASES IN GROUP PERFORMANCE AND THAT THE EFFECTS WERE MARKEDLY SIMILAR FOR GROUPS WITH DIFFERING HISTORIES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE ECONOMY. WITH THE GOAL OF REENGINEERING THE INSTITUTION WITH THE GOAL OF REENGINEERING THE INSTITUTION ENVIRONMENT BY INTRODUCING EFFECTIVE CONTINGENCIES OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TO REPLACE CONTINGENCIES OF AVERSIVE CONTROL, THE STUDY MOVED THE CELLBLOCK TOKEN ECONOMY TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HUMANE-OFFENDER REHABILITATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE RECORDS ARE COMPARED, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH GROUP DATA MAY MASK INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE PATTERNS IS DISCUSSED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MHP)