Treatment of schizophrenia: Token economies

Question 1

Outline

Answer 1

a type of therapy based on operant conditioning that has been used traditionally in psychiatric institutions and produce improvements in chronic institutionalised schizophrenics

Question 2

How does it work?

Answer 2

It positively reinforces desirable behaviour by rewarding patients with tokens (e.g coloured counters) for good behaviour.
These tokens or secondary reinforcers can be then exchanged for rewards (primary reinforcers) such as watching TV, going out for the weekend or receiving cigarettes.

Question 3

Evaluation weakness: less affective in real world

Answer 3

will not be given tokens for good behaviour

Question 4

Evaluation weakness: it rarely produces long term changes

Answer 4

as patients only act normal because they receive tokens. When the tokens go, they usually relapse therefore this treatment doesn’t change the thinking that causes the behaviour.

Question 5

Evaluation weakness: taking away human privileges

Answer 5

that should be granted for free such as watching TV or going out on day trips. therefore this therapy makes life worse.