STUDIES OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY - A REVIEW, METHODOLOGICAL CRITIQUE, AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE (FROM CHILDREN OF ISHMAEL, 1978, BY BARRY KRISBERG AND JAMES AUSTIN - SEE NCJ-47012)

• NCJ Number: 47018
• Author(s): W S DAVIDSON; E SEIDMAN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Mayfield Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, V 81 (1974) P 998-1011

Annotation

A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED LITERATURE FROM 1960 TO 1973 IS PRESENTED, IN WHICH METHODS OF BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS APPLIED TO THE MODIFICATION OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR ARE INVESTIGATED.

Abstract

THE REVIEW IS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF BEHAVIOR TO BE MODIFIED: EDUCATIONAL, PROGRAM, AND DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR; THESE CATEGORIES ARE THEN SUBDIVIDED INTO CASE STUDIES, SINGLE-GROUP STUDIES, CONTROL GROUP STUDIES, AND A-B-A STUDIES. EDUCATIONAL BEHAVIOR REFERS TO ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE CLASSROOM OR SCHOOL-RELATED PERFORMANCE OF DELINQUENT YOUTHS. VARIOUS METHODS WERE USED, AND WHEN THE CRITERION WAS IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE, POSITIVE OUTCOMES WERE PRODUCED IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT MORE CAREFUL EXAMINATION BE MADE ON THE GENERALIZABILITY OF THE CHANGES PRODUCED AND THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED. PROGRAM BEHAVIORS FOCUS ON INCREASING THE FREQUENCY OF BEHAVIORS THOUGHT TO BE DESIRABLE WITHIN A SPECIFIC TREATMENT OR CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN THESE STUDIES, BUT THE QUESTION OF THE LASTING NATURE OF EFFECTS IS LARGELY UNANSWERED. WITH DELINQUENT BEHAVIORS, THE EFFECT OF INTERVENTION ON ILLEGAL OR DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR IS EXAMINED. THESE STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN POSITIVE RESULTS. ALL OF THIS RESEARCH PROVIDES POSITIVE RESULTS WITH SOME GENERALITY. THE METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDIES MUST BE EVALUATED. THE PRIMARY QUESTION IS HOW METHODOLOGICALLY SOUND ARE GROUNDS FOR BELIEF IN THE EFFICACY OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES WITH DELINQUENT POPULATIONS. SINCE THE SUBJECT POPULATION IS AT A STAGE OF LIFE CHARACTERIZED BY GROWTH AND CHANGE, ONE MUST CONSIDER WHETHER CHANGE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED ANYWAY, WITHOUT THE EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATIONS. THERE ARE ALSO SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THE BASELINE MEASUREMENTS, WITH REGARD TO PREMEASUREMENT AND FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS, MANY STUDIES UTILIZED NO CONTROL GROUP. ANOTHER METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEM IS THE SYSTEMATIC VARIATION OF TREATMENT, WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH SEPARATION OF THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OBSERVED CHANGE. THE FINAL ISSUES ARE THE USE OF MULTIPLE MEASURES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF BOTH THE OUTCOME AND PROCESS OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROCEDURES; UNBIASED DATA COLLECTORS; AND FOLLOWUP MEASURES. ALL OF THESE ISSUES MUST NOW BE PLACED INTO A SOCIETAL PERSPECTIVE. THE REPORT WRITERS MUST BE AWARE OF HOW THEIR STUDIES WILL AFFECT DECISIONS REGARDING FUTURE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS. OPEN DISCUSSIONS OF THIS MATERIAL SHOULD TAKE PLACE, AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE INTO NEW BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES TO REMEDYING DELINQUENCY. TABULAR DATA ON THE METHODS USED IN THE STUDIES ARE PROVIDED, AND NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (BAC)