Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis · 1976 · 28 citations · 33 references
Social SciencesBehavioral SciencesPsychologyBehavior AnalysisBehavior Change TheoryJuvenile JusticeBehavior TherapyCorrectional PsychologyCorrectional TreatmentJuvenile CorrectionsJuvenile DelinquencyPositive Reinforcement SystemsBehavior Change EvaluationJuvenile Delinquency ControlSocial Behavior DevelopmentTask Completion ReinforcementToken Economy SystemsYouth Delinquency
A token economy designed to modify the behavior of 125 adolescent males committed to a state correctional institution was implemented in the boys' cottages, focusing on social behavior (peer interaction), rule following, and task completion. The program was sequentially introduced in a multiple-baseline design in three independent cottages; a fourth group served as a comparison cottage. Appropriate behavior increased when the token program was introduced in each cottage. Data were collected for 14 months. Thus, the long-term effects of initial behavior change were assessed.
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