Schizophrenia - Token economies Flashcards
What are token economies based on?
Operant conditioning - behaviourism
What sort of symptoms do token economies aim to treat?
Negative symptoms such as avolition
How do token economies work?
- Clinicians set target behaviour that they believe will improve patient’s engagement in daily activities eg. dressing themselves
- The tokens are paired with a reward the patient wants
- Tokens are awarded when patient engages in target behaviour
- Tokens have no intrinsic value (they are secondary reinforcers)
- Tokens are later exchanged for various rewards and privileges.
Why does research show that token economies are more effective when tokens can be exchanged for a variety of items?
It makes it more motivating and personalised to the person to do the target behaviour. Prevents satiation (full up)
Why does research show that token economies are more effective when tokens are awarded immediately without delay following the desired behaviour?
Makes it clear and easy for them to know which behaviour was rewarded. Temporal contiguity (time close by)
Why does research show token economies are less effective when patients live in the community?
- Doctors have less control over patient’s lives, particularly access to rewards and unable to observe behaviour on a constant basis
- Therefore token economies are of limited effectiveness, useful only in inpatient settings
Why may a token economy do little to treat schizophrenia symptoms in patients?
Because it produces only surface behavioural changes and won’t change the underlying symptoms or cause of schizophrenia.
How might use of token economies with patients with schizophrenia be unethical?
Those with positive symptoms may be unable to access rewards which is unfair.
Those with severe illness will get fewer rewards so this is unfair as the disorder is out of their control.
