Token economies

Question 1

What are token economies

Answer 1

• based on operant conditioning- learning through reinforcement
• help encourage people in psychiatric institutions to peform socially desirable behaviours e.g. getting dressed. Patients given tokens which reinforce these behaviours- they can then exchange these for something they want e.g sweets

Question 2

Study for token economies- Ayllon and Azrin (1968)- token economy in a psychiatric ward

Answer 2

• 45 female patients- tokens for ‘good behaviours’- these could be exchanged for rewards
• Tokens taken away for bizarre behaviour. -Naturalistic observation used to assess effectiveness of this procedure in changing behaviour in hospital ward
• they showed a massive improvement through incentive of receiving privileges
• token economies can exert control over behaviour to give patients back a sense of dignity
• gender bias- pps all women

Question 3

Advantages of token economies

Answer 3

• token economy programmes can produce significant improvements in self care and desirable behaviour, even with chronic insitutationalised people w sz
• means they work best within institutions- people who stay in institutions often lose motivation to care for themselves, something token economies directly address

Question 4

Research support for token economies- Paul and Lentz (1997)

Answer 4

• compared use of token economy system with standard hospitalisation
• found people w sz whose disorder was managed using token economies showed greatest improvement in behaviour

Question 5

Research support for token economies- Paul and Lentz (1997)

Answer 5

• compared use of token economy system with standard hospitalisation
• found people w sz whose disorder was managed using token economies showed greatest improvement in behaviour

Question 6

Disadvantages of token economies

Answer 6

• don’t have high ecological validity- don’t transfer into the real world. Once people are away from institutions they often don’t continue showing desirable behaviour because nothing to reinforce it
• patient’s behaviour might be superficial- might only produce desirable behaviour if they’re going to receieve a token
• ethical issues with behavioural therapy- doesn’t rly help patient just makes their behaviour more acceptable to other people. Depriving patients of rewards may be seen as infringing on their human rights. However may be justified if outcome is that the patients get back their independence