token economy - psychological therapies Flashcards
what is token economy
behaviour modification used institutes
what is token economy based on
the principles of operant conditioning and involves the use for positive reinforcement for behaviours performed
why is token economy used
manage the behaviours of patients with schizophrenia in particular the ones who have developed maladaptive behaviour
what is the aim of a token economy
doesn’t aim to cure schizophrenia but to improve the patients’ quality of life and help them to adapt to living outside the hospital setting
when are tokens given
when a desirable behaviour is shown
what type of reinforcers are tokens
secondary reinforces
what is a secondary reinforcer
it has no value on its own but can be swapped later for more tangible rewards
give an example of a tangible reward
sweets, cigarettes, magazines, a walk in the garden
what does a token economy get the patients to want to do
to repeat the desirable behaviours in order to gain more rewards
what behaviours could be rewarded in a schizophrenic patients psychiatric institution
brushing their teeth, having a shower, getting dressed in the morning by themselves, taking medication at the right time, helping another patient
what are the evaluation points of token economy
evidence to support its effectiveness
studies looking at the effectiveness of a token economy are poorly controlled
token economy can be see as unethical
explain the evaluation point that there is evidence to support its effectiveness as an evaluation of token economy
Allyon and Azrin used token economy system to alter the behaviours of patients with schizophrenia who had suffered with the condition for more than 15 years
patients wee rewarded for prosocial behaviours such as tidying the room, talking to other patients, not being violent towards other staff
the token economy improved these prosocial behaviours in chronic schizophrenics but the system did not reduce the frequency of the hallucinations or delusions
the researchers said the system was effective as their goal was to improve the daily behaviour within the hospital not cure the symptoms
explain the explanation point that studies looking at the effectiveness ted to be poorly controlled as an evaluation for family therapy
Mcgonagle and Sultana found 3 studies where patients had randomly been allocated conditions and only one of these studies found an improvement of these symptoms
explain the evaluation point that token economy could b considered unethical as an evaluation for family therapy
privileges became more available to patients with mild symptoms and less to those with serious symptoms so could be seen as discriminatory
token economy is brought in across the whole institute and all patients are expected to participate, this raises issues of consent to treatment
token economy helps make patients behaviour more socially acceptable so they can reintegrate back into society better but it doesn’t cure schizophrenia. when patients leave the institute, their behaviour may regress due to lack of reinforcement
