Application of Behavior Principles to Group Therapy Techniques with Juvenile Delinquents
The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of token reinforcement on the quantity and quality of verbalization in a therapy group of 5 delinquent boys. Ss were reinforced with poker chips for units of verbalization and for certain types of verbalization. The chips were exchanged for candy, money, or phone calls at the end of each session. Verbal behavior was reinforced for 19 of the 25 therapy sessions. Results indicated an increase over baseline rate in the quantity and quality of verbalization.