NCJ Number
45763
Date Published
1976
Length
14 pages
Annotation
TWO STUDIES ARE PRESENTED IN WHICH 'FREE WORLD' BEHAVIORS WERE INCREASED AMONG A GROUP OF MALE PRISONERSS PARTICIPATING IN A TOKEN ECONOMY ON A COUNTY PENAL FARM.
Abstract
THE TWO REHABILITATIVE EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED AMONG MEN ON THE SHELBY COUNTY PENAL FARM, A MINIMUM SECURITY CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION NEAR MEMPHIS, TENN. THE FIRST EXPERIMENT SOUGHT TO INCREASE THE WATCHING OF TELEVISED NEWS AND LATER THE COMPREHENSION OF THE NEWS. WHEN THE MEN WERE INSTRUCTED TO WATCH THE NEWS AND TOLD THAT THIS WOULD HELP THEM IN THE FREE WORLD, LITTLE BEHAVIOR CHANGE TOOK PLACE. NONCONTINGENT QUIZZES ON NEWS CONTENT WERE LIKEWISE INEFFECTIVE, BUT QUIZZES ON WHICH CORRECT ANSWERS EARNED POINTS IN THE TOKEN ECONOMY WERE QUITE EFFECTIVE. WHEN POINTS WERE AWARDED FOR CORRECT QUIZ ANSWERS, NEWS WATCHING INCREASED TO ABOUT 70 PERCENT FROM A BASELINE OF ABOUT 40 PERCENT. QUIZ SCORES AVERAGED ABOUT 70 PERCENT. WHEN THE INCENTIVE POINTS WERE DROPPED, NEWS WATCHING DROPPED BACK TO 40 PERCENT AND QUIZ SCORES DROPPED TO ABOUT 25 PERCENT. THE SECOND EXPERIMENT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE AT A REMEDIAL EDUCATION CENTER. BASELINE ATTENDANCE AVERAGED BETWEEN 10 PERCENT AND 35 PERCENT OF AVAILABLE MANHOURS. GIVING BONUS POINTS FOR GOODS IN THE TOKEN SOCIETY INCREASED ATTENDANCE TO AN AVERAGE LEVEL OF 45 PERCENT. REMOVAL LED TO A DECLINE TO 20 PERCENT. THE BONUS POINTS WERE REINSTATED AND OVER THE 3-MONTH PERIOD ATTENDANCE GRADUALLY ROSE TO 90 PERCENT AND MAINTAINED ITSELF AT THIS HIGH LEVEL. (GLR)