Token Economy & managing Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is token economy?

Answer 1

• Form of behavioural therapy where desirable behaviours are encouraged by selective reinforcements
• Based on operant conditioning

Question 2

What are primary & secondary reinforcers?

Answer 2

• Primary - anything that gives pleasure (food)or removes something unpleasant
• Secondary - initially has no value until paired with primary reinforcer
• To be effective reinforcers must be delivered immediately after desired behaviour

Question 3

Outline the token economy cycle.

Answer 3

1. Tokens paired with rewarding stimuli & become secondary reinforcers
2. Patient engages in target behaviour
3. Patient given tokens for this
4. Patient trades tokens for desirable things

Question 4

Explain the process of assigning values to the tokens.

Answer 4

• To give neutral token value, must be repeatedly presented alongside/immediately before reinforcing stimulus (privileges/food)
• By pairing neutral tokens with reinforcing stimulus, token eventually gets same reinforcing properties
• As result of classical conditioning, neutral tokens become secondary reinforces & can be used to modify behaviour

Question 5

Explain how tokens are used to reinforce target behaviour.

Answer 5

• When performing target behaviours, clinician awards them tokens
• When token can be exchanged for variety of privileges, it’s called a generalised reinforcer
• More items/rewards it can be exchanged for, more powerful it becomes
• Research found participants had higher rates of responding when tokens could be exchanged for variety of edible items instead of just 1

Question 6

Explain how the timing of trading tokens for rewards is important.

Answer 6

During early stages of token economy, frequent exchange periods mean that patients can be quickly reinforced & target behaviour can increase in frequency