Token Economies Flashcards
Token Economies
- Conditioned Reinforcers
– Not originally reinforcing but become
reinforcer after being paired with other
reinforcers - Tokens
– Conditioned reinforcers that endure, and
can be accumulated and exchanged for
backup reinforcers - Token Economy
– Behavior modification program that uses
tokens with a group of individuals
Token economy Benefits
- Can be given immediately
- Paired with many different backup
reinforcers - Can be administered to large diverse
groups
Setting up a Token Economy
- Decide on target behavior
– Define behaviors so that all involved can identify
instances of appropriate and inappropriate
behavior - Take baselines
– Baseline data important to know what is needed
– Data can help with selecting backup reinforcers
Select backup reinforcers
–Identify backup consequences through
direct and indirect assessment
–Use wide variety of backup reinforcers
–Can use response-cost procedures to
punish inappropriate behavior
Select the type of tokens
– Can take many forms, but should be:
* Durable
* Easy to handle
* Difficult to steal
* Difficult to counterfeit
– Can give graded value for tokens
– Can associate different types of tokens
with different behaviors
Managing Logistics
- Identify available help
– Depending on the situation, different people
may need to help
*Ex: teachers, volunteers, behaviorally advanced peers, etc. - Choose the locations
– Some locations are better than others, but
often do not have a choice of location
Managing consequences
- Ensure backup reinforcers
are on hand - Clearly describe criteria for
earning and exchanging
tokens - Award tokens as
immediately as possible - Use reinforcers such as
praise with tokens - Keep accurate records
- Provide bonuses for highlevel performance
- Train those administering
tokens
Procedures
- Must decide on procedures for:
– Keeping data
*What kinds of sheets?
*Who will record the data?
*When will recording take place?
– The reinforcing agent
*Who will administer the reinforcement and for what
behaviors?
Reinforcement schedules & costs
- Number or frequency of tokens to pay
― More tokens to start
― Gradually decrease number of tokens
― Less pleasant activities might earn more - Managing the Backup Reinforcers
– How frequently will backup reinforcers be made
available?
*Frequency high in the beginning
– How much will each reinforcer cost?
*Should be related to monetary cost
*High demand items should cost more
*Low cost for backup reinforcers that have therapeutic
value
Punishment
- Possible Punishment Contingencies
– Can use tokens to administer punishment through
fines
–May need to teach clients how to accept fines in a
nonaggressive, relatively non-emotional way
Monitoring & Creating a Manual
- Supervision of Staff
– Duties must be clearly spelled out
– Staff must be monitored closely
– Reinforcement must be offered for appropriate
behavior - Handling Potential Problems
– Problems must be planned for in advance
*Confusion
*Staff shortages
*Attempts by clients to get tokens they have not earned or
backup reinforcers for which they do not have enough tokens
*Clients playing with tokens in distracting ways
*Failure to purchase backup reinforcers
Programming Generality to the
Natural Environment
- Token economy should be designed so that
social reinforcement gradually replaces tokens - Weaning from tokens:
– Eliminate tokens gradually
*Intermittent scheduling
– Decrease token value gradually
*Gradually decrease amount of backup reinforcement that
a token can purchase
*Or, gradually increase the delay between getting tokens
and purchase of backup reinforcements
– Gradually transfer control to the clients
Ethical Considerations
Must take precautions to avoid abuse
* Making the system completely open to
public scrutiny may ensure that no
abuse happens
* Do you have any ethical concerns with
this system?
*Does the population matter?
