Token Economies Flashcards
behavioural treatments for schizophrenia are based on…
operant conditioning
what is operant conditioning?
learning through reinforcement
token economies can help encourage…
patients to perform socially desirable behaviours
when patients perform socially desirable behaviours…
they receive tokens
Token Economy study
Ayllon and Azrin (1968)
Ayllon and Azrin study date
1968
Ayllon and Azrin Method
45 female patients with schizophrenia received tokens for good behaviours.
Tokens could be exchanged for rewards
Tokens were taken away for bad behaviour
Ayllon and Azrin Results
the women showed a massive improvement due to Token Economies
Ayllon and Azrin Conclusion
token economies can exert control over behaviour to give patients back a sense of dignity
Ayllon and Azrin Evaluation
the participants were all women so the findings can’t be generalised
Advantage: self care
token economies can improve self care in even the worst of institutionalised patients
Advantage: institutions
token economies work best in institutions
Disadvantage: ecological values
token economies have a high ecological value meaning they don’t transfer into the real world
Disadvantage: superficial
the patient’s behaviour might be superficial just so they can receive tokens
