Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
09:12
The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
Treatment of impulsive aggression in correctional settings
Deborah Shelton1, Susan Sampl, Karen L Kesten
1School of Nursing, Division of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-5386, USA. Shelton@uchc.edu
Behavioral Sciences & the Law
|September 29, 2009
Summary
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Corrections Modified (DBT-CM) effectively reduced aggression and impulsivity in correctional populations. The therapy showed lasting benefits for managing aggressive behaviors in prison settings.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Correctional Mental Health
- Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Correctional populations often exhibit difficult-to-manage, impulsive, and aggressive behaviors.
- Effective therapeutic interventions are crucial for managing these behaviors within prison settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the implementation and effectiveness of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Corrections Modified (DBT-CM).
- To assess DBT-CM's impact on impulsive and aggressive behaviors in correctional settings.
Main Methods:
- A 16-week DBT-CM group intervention was administered to 63 adult participants in Connecticut prisons.
- Participants were then randomly assigned to DBT coaching or case management for 8 weeks.
- Mixed effects regression models analyzed changes in aggression, impulsivity, psychopathology, and coping.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in targeted behaviors were observed after the 16-week DBT-CM skills treatment.
- Both DBT coaching and case management showed significant effects at 12-month follow-up.
- A significant difference in outcomes was noted between adult men and women.
Conclusions:
- The study validates the utility of DBT-CM for managing aggressive behaviors in correctional environments.
- DBT-CM offers a promising approach for improving behavioral outcomes in prison inmates.
Related Concept Videos
01:47Aggression
Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for hire...
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
01:21Behavior Modification
Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
01:24Treatment Strategies for Psychological Disorders
Treatment approaches for psychological disorders fall into three main categories: psychological, biological, and sociocultural. Each approach targets different aspects of mental health, requiring varying levels of education and training.
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
Psychological therapies focus on modifying emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, challenging, and modeling. Clinical psychologists, counselors, and social workers commonly practice psychotherapy. Clinical...
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
01:27Punishment
Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.