Behaviour Modification in Custody (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

The use of token economies to change behaviour

• A token economy is one in which positive behaviours are rewarded and negative behaviours are discouraged (i.e., a form of operant conditioning)

• Token economies are a feature of offender behaviour management as well as being used in health settings such as mental hospitals or care facilities

• The aim of a token economy is to incentivise offenders to behave in ways which are socially acceptable (e.g. avoiding fights and confrontations both with staff and other prisoners and keeping their cell clean and tidy)

• Token economies in custodial settings aim to help offenders manage their time in prison (without the need for external incentives such as tokens) and to prepare for life on the ‘outside’ 

• Tokens are in themselves valueless, but they can be exchanged for desirable ‘treats’ or privileges, e.g., food, more outdoor exercise time, an extra hour’s TV viewing, etc.

• Tokens act as secondary reinforcers; i.e., it is not the tokens themselves that provide the reward; it is what they can be exchanged for (e.g., the primary reinforcement of food, extra visits from family etc)

Research which investigates behaviour modification in custody

• Elbers et al. (2022) -  a review article which concluded that token economies yield positive short-term behavioural effects in individuals with learning disabilities or who are cognitively below average

• Milan & McKee (1976) - conducted experimental research in a maximum security prison and found that the combination of praise and tokens was more effective in changing behaviour than was the threat of punishment in the form of removal of social and/or recreational time 

Evaluation of behaviour modification in Custody

Strengths

• Token economies are successful in changing behaviours; e.g., Gendreau et al.’s (2014) meta-analysis found that token economies encourage prisoners (69% in their analysis) to engage in prosocial behaviour, education and work assignments

• A programme of token economy behaviour management is easy to administer and organise and requires little (expensive) expertise to set up

Limitations

• The long-term effectiveness of token economies is open to some speculation and doubt: are the behavioural changes maintained beyond prison?

• Token economies are not as effective with experienced offenders as they are with juvenile offenders; i.e., the longer someone has been part of the prison system, the less likely they are to respond to rehabilitative systems such as a token economy

Issues & Debates

• Behaviour modification focuses on environmental reinforcement to shape behaviour, exemplifying the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate

  • It assumes that offending behaviour is learned and can be unlearned through positive reinforcement

• Token economies may be reductionist as they simplify behaviour change to reward-based conditioning without addressing deeper cognitive, emotional, or social causes of offending

  • A more holistic approach might combine token economies with therapies like CBT to address the root causes of offending