Token Economy Flashcards
1
Q
Token economy
A
- based on operant conditioning. Positive behaviour is rewarded, undesirable behaviour is not.
2
Q
Reinforcers
A
Item = primary reinforcer
Token = secondary reinforcer
3
Q
Tokens for and used for
A
- tokens awarded for positive target behaviour (must be operationalised which means clearly outlined).
- tokens can be used on privileges such as extra phone call.
4
Q
Key characteristics
A
- training and explanation is essential. Prisoners and officers must be aware of how much each behaviour is worth.
- reinforcement should outweigh punishment (4:1).
- must be standardised
- progress must be monitored
5
Q
AO3 strengths
A
- token economy is easier and cheaper to implement than CBT.
- the system can cater to the needs of the clientele as young offenders responded better if rewards were more instant, frequent and positive.
6
Q
AO3 weaknesses
A
- if staff are inconsistent, any benefit of the token economy is lost. These problems can occur due to staff sickness, high turnover of staff or certain staff engaging more/less than others.
- unethical method as it could be seen as violating human rights to manipulate behaviours. Also some prisoners cannot control their behaviours so will never get tokens so it is unfair to deprive them of privileges due to this.
- can lead to difficulty in real world as many prisoners only do the behaviours and don’t actually learn why they are important, meaning when the rewards stop, so will their behaviours.
