A study was conducted concerning the frequency of litter deposits in a single experimental trash receptacle located in a high-use, urban park setting. There were four two-week periods of alternating no-contingency, contingency conditions during which reinforcement and incentive were evaluated. It was found that reinforcement resulted in the highest rates of behavior and improvements in the aesthetic appearance of the area.
The application of behavior modification technology to the alleviation of various social problems is reviewed. Specific items discussed are: energy consumption, pollution control, token economies, architectural control of behavior, welfare, worker performance, social action, crime, and social integration. Where relevant, specific studies are summarized. Future developments and implications for social work practice are reviewed briefly. iPreparation of this manuscript was facilitated through funding from U.S.P.H.S. research grant MH18813 and MH21905, awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Center for Studies of Crime and Deliquency, research grant NECO030114 awarded by the National Institute of Education and research grant awarded by the Energy Research and Development Administration.
Stability, nonnegativity, and initial conditions are examined in two closed two-compartment models with time-delay proposed by Cobelli and Rescigno [1] and Bellman [2].