Token economy and the managment of Z

Question 1

Token economy

Answer 1

A form of a behavioural theraphy where clinicans set target behaviours therapy where clinicians set target behaviours that will improve the paitents engament in daily activities. Token are awarded whenever the paitent engages in one of their target behaviours.

Question 2

Ayllon and azrin (1968)

Answer 2

Gave schizophrenic paitents plastic tokens for behaviours such as carrying out domestice chores. These tokens wwere exchanged for privileges such as being able to watch a movie.

• Procedure was effective in maintaining paitents’ adaptive behaviours as long as the token economy remained in effect.

Question 3

Generalised reinforcer

Answer 3

When a token can be exchanged for a variety of different privileges and rewards the more powerful it becomes.

Question 4

How does it work

Answer 4

1. Tokens are paired with rewardng stimuli and so become secondary reinforcers
2. Paitents engages in behaviours or reduces inappropriate ones.
3. Paitent is given tokenns for engaging in these target behaviours e.g dressings themselve.
4. Paitent trades these token for access to desirable items or other privelleges.

Question 5

AO3

Question 6

Dickerson et al (2005)

Answer 6

P: Dickerson et al (2005) found research to support the effectivenss of token economies in a psychriatric setting.
E: They reviewed 13 studies of the use of token econmy systems in the tretment of Sz, 11 of which reported benefiical effects thst were directly attributable to the use of token economies.
E: However, the authrs cautioned that many of these studies reviewed had a significant methodological shortcomings that limited their impact in the overal assessment of token economies.

Question 7

Difficulties asessing the sucess of a token economy

Answer 7

P: A problem in assessing the effectiveness of token economies is that studies of their use tend to be uncontrolled.

E: All paitents on a ward are on the rogramme rather than having an experimental group and a control group. As a result, paitents’ improvements can only be comapred with their past behaviours rather than with those in the control group.

E: This comparison may be misleading as other factors (e.g an increase in staff attention) could be causing paitents’ improvements rather than token economy.

Question 8

Ethical concerns

Answer 8

P: Clinicans may withold imprtant primary reinforcers such as food, privacy or access to activities that alleviate boredom. Paitents gain access to these rewards by exchaning tokens awarde for demonstrating target behaviours.

E: Human beings have certain basic rights (to food, privacy.) that cannot be violated regardless of the positive conseqeunces that might be achieved by manipulating them within a token economy programme.