Behaviour Modification in the Community
| Author | D.R. George |
| Published date | 01 March 1975 |
| Date | 01 March 1975 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455057502200103 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
7
Behaviour
Modification
in
the
Community
D.R.GEORGE
Hertfordshire
I
READ
with
interest
John
Hall’s
article
in
the
June
edition
of
Proba-
tion.’
The
dissemination
of
information
about
the
growing
use
of
.
Behaviour
Modification
in
Penal
Institutions
can
only
lead
to
a
greater
understanding
of
what
some
of
our
clients
are
at
present
undergoing.
In
another
sense
it
was
disappointing
that
we
still
tend
to
think
of
behaviour
modification
in
connection
with
institutions.
If
it
has
already
proven
its
worth
then
it
should
perhaps
be
applied
outside
the
walls
and
be
used
by
individual
probation
officers
in
the
community.
There
are
several
aspects
of
behaviour
modification
programmes
which
indicate
its
facility
under
the
normal
conditions
of
a
probation
officer’s
work.
The
basic
principles
of
this
kind
of
intervention
are
few
as
John
Hall
points
out
in
his
article.
First,
rewards
to
increase
the
probability
of
the
desired
behaviour
should
be
positive
rather
than
negative.
Where
particular
behaviour
needs
to
be
extinguished
the
absence
of
a
positive
reward
can
normally
substitute for
a
negative
reward
or
a
punishment.
The
concept
of
probation
as
being
a
stimulating
service
to
the
client
would
normally
make
a
punishment
counter-productive,
especially
in
the
beginning
of
a
plan.
-
Secondly,
the
choosing
of
reinforcements
that
will
be
relevant
becomes
far
easier
in
the
community
where
activities
and
environments
can
be
far
more
diversified,
however
helpful
the
penal
institution.
The
individual
at
home
or
in
his
leisure
time
has
far
more
free
choice
in
his
activities
than
he
has
&dquo;inside&dquo;.
It
is
arguable
that
the
third
principle
given
in
the
article-&dquo;secondary
conditioning&dquo;
is
merely
a
particular
variety
of
reward.
In
any
case
the
possibilities
in
this
type
of
reinforcement
are
increased
enormously
when
the
individual
is
seen
in
a
normal
environment.
The
procedure
for
instigating
a
programme
for
an
individual
high-
lights
some
techniques
already
used
in
the
usual
course
of
a
probation
order.
Initially
an
assessment
is
made
by
observation.
The
subject
behaviour
must
be
decided
upon
and
agreed
by
court,
probation
officer
and
the
client.
The
conditions
which
precede
and
also
those
which
follow
the
behaviour
and
support
it
must
be
identified.
The
resources
in
the
natural
environment
which
can
be used
to
give
reinforcement
and
the
way
in
which
they
were
used
prior
to
our
intervention
must
be
noted.
A
baseline
measurement
can
be
taken
to
record
the
frequency
of
the
subject
behaviour.
This
will
aid
analysis
of
the
client’s
reinforcers
and
particularly
the
strength
of
the
reinforcers
to
make
probable
either
the
subject
behaviour
or
an
alternative
behaviour.
.
As
with
many
clients
now,
the
mere
assessing
of
persons
and
their
problems
often
produces
change
and
so
with
the
baseline
recording
,
Tharp
and
iVetzel2
often
found
the
subject
behaviour
occurring
less
frequently
before
systematic
intervention
was
begun.
The
client
himself
is
able
to
take
part
if
the
baseline
takes
the
form
of
a
chart
on
which
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