The effects of token reinforcement on the behavior of delinquents in cottage settings.
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.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D011330:Prisons; D012201:Reward; D014040:Token Economy