Does punishment work, and how can antisocial behaviour be reduced?
The effect of punishment on recidivism and treatments to reduce antisocial behaviour (such as anger management and token economies), with an evaluation.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 6, covering the effect of punishment on recidivism and treatments to reduce antisocial behaviour (anger management and token economies), with an evaluation.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to explain the effect of punishment on recidivism (reoffending) and to describe treatments that reduce antisocial behaviour, such as anger management and token economies, with an evaluation. These treatments apply the learning theory, so link them to reinforcement and cognitive change.
Punishment and recidivism
Punishment aims to reduce offending by making crime unpleasant. In practice, punishment such as prison often does not reduce recidivism, for several reasons:
- It usually does not address the causes of offending (learned behaviour, poverty, addiction, peer influence), so on release the person faces the same influences.
- Prison can act as a place where offenders learn more criminal behaviour from others and build criminal networks (a form of social learning).
- If punishment is delayed, inconsistent or seen as unlikely, it does not effectively weaken the behaviour, and the rewards of crime may still outweigh it.
So punishment alone is often a weak tool, which is why psychology focuses on treatments that change behaviour and thinking.
Treatments to reduce antisocial behaviour
Both treatments target the causes of antisocial behaviour: anger management changes the thinking and emotional control behind aggression, while a token economy changes the rewards that shape behaviour.
Evaluating punishment and treatments
Punishment: strength: it can protect the public and deter some offending; weakness: it often fails to reduce recidivism because it does not address causes and can teach more crime. Treatments: strengths: they target the causes and can lower reoffending, and token economies are easy to run in institutions; weaknesses: their effects may not transfer to real life outside the institution (a token economy may fade once rewards stop), and success depends on the offender's motivation and consistent delivery. The best approach often combines appropriate punishment with treatment.
Try this
Q1. What does recidivism mean? [1 mark]
- Cue. Reoffending after being punished for a crime.
Q2. On which type of conditioning is a token economy based? [1 mark]
- Cue. Operant conditioning (rewarding prosocial behaviour with tokens).
Q3. Explain one reason prison may fail to reduce reoffending. [2 marks]
- Cue. It does not address the causes of offending and can expose the person to more criminal models.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20193 marksExplain why punishment does not always reduce reoffending (recidivism). (Paper 2)Show worked answer →
A 3-mark Explain item rewards reasons that punishment can fail to reduce recidivism.
Punishment can fail to reduce reoffending for several reasons. It often does not address the causes of offending (such as learned behaviour, poverty or addiction), so once released the person faces the same influences. Prison can also act as a place where offenders learn more criminal behaviour from others and form criminal networks. If punishment is delayed or seen as unlikely, it does not effectively weaken the behaviour, and the rewards of crime may still outweigh it, so the person reoffends.
Markers reward reasons such as punishment not addressing the causes, prison teaching criminal behaviour, and weak or delayed punishment failing to outweigh the rewards of crime.
Edexcel 20214 marksDescribe how a token economy can be used to reduce antisocial behaviour. (Paper 2)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Describe item rewards an account of a token economy based on operant conditioning.
A token economy is based on operant conditioning. Desirable, prosocial behaviour (such as cooperating or following rules) is rewarded with tokens, which act as secondary reinforcers. The tokens can later be exchanged for something the person values, such as privileges or goods (primary reinforcers). By consistently rewarding good behaviour and not rewarding antisocial behaviour, the prosocial behaviour is reinforced and becomes more frequent, while antisocial behaviour is discouraged.
Markers reward the operant basis, earning tokens for prosocial behaviour, exchanging tokens for rewards, and the strengthening of desirable behaviour through reinforcement.
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Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Psychology (1PS0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2017)