token economies

Question 1

what are some strengths of token economies?

Answer 1

1. research supporting its effectiveness
   - identified 7 studies on effectiveness of token economies finding that all had shown a reduction in negative symptoms
   - supports the value of token economies in reducing the frequency of unwanted behaviour

Question 2

what are some weaknesses of token economies?

Answer 2

2. however, there may be ethical issues that may arise
   - clinicians have the power the control people’s behaviour and imposes norms onto others
   - restricting availability of pleasures to those who don’t fit into societal norms can be distressing
   - means the benefits may be outweighed by the impact on freedom and short term reduction in quality of life
3. don’t work outside of an institutionalised setting
   - a review of 3 studies for token economies - only one of the 3 studies showed improvement in symptoms and none yield useful information on behaviour change
   - token economies applied in other environments are ineffective and therefore may not help people being reintroduced to the community