Inducing behaviour change in adolescent delinquents

Social learning theory and group work practice with antisocial children

“…Such behaviors constitute central diagnostic and interventive loci for both caseworkers and group workers. Data reported by a number of investigators indicate that the maladaptive activities of antisocial children can be viewed as behaviors that are either increased or decreased through the provision of appropriate consequences following their occurrence (Burchard & Tyler, 1965;Cohen, Filipczak & Bis, 1967;Schwitzgebel & Kolb, 1964;Shah, 1966;Tharp & Wetzel, 1969;Tyler & Brown, 1967;Wetzel, 1966). Such "consequences" are commonly known as reinforcers, or reinforcing stimuli.…”

“…As the desired skills are developed the worker might shape the behavior further by making subsequent reinforcements contingent upon actually catching the ball. Schwitzgebel and Kolb (1964) shaped attendance among antisocial children who would not come to a meeting site by actually leaving their offices and meeting clients at locations successively closer to the site. They also shaped punctuality by awarding bonuses each time subjects arrived closer to the scheduled participation time.…”

“…Schwitzgebel and Kolb (1964), for example, were able to suecessfully engage delinquents in a series of behavioral exchanges by presenting food as a primary reinforcer during their initial contacts. They also utilized money as a primary reinforcer and, additionally, established their workers' capacities for reinforcement by paying delinquents a one-dollar bonus following exploratory visits to the site of their experiments.…”

Differential Association and Learning Principles Revisited

“…However, such a task is beyond the scope of this analysis. Barlow, et al, 1969;Bednar, et al, 1970;Belcastro, 1969;Brown and L'Abate, 1969;Buehler, et al, 1966;Burchard, 1967;Clements and McKee, 1968;Cohen, et al, 1969;Colman and Baker, 1969;Jesness, 1970;Kleinknecht, 1969;Martin, et al, 1968;Meichenbaugh, et al, 1968;Milan, 1971;Perkins, 1967;Phillips, 1968;Schwitzgebel, 1967;Schwitzgebel and Kolb, 1964;Staats and Butterfield, 1965;Brown, 1967, 1968).…”

“…The follow-up revealed that 70 percent of the experimental group had successfully readjusted to Army life, while only 28 percent of a control group had successfully readjusted. Schwitzgebel and Kolb (1964) used both social and nonsocial reinforcers to shape the arrival time of adolescent male offenders who were paid to talk into a tape recorder. A three-year followup revealed the experimental group to have significantly fewer arrests and months of incarceration than a control group.…”