AO1

• What are token economies?

  Reward systems used to manage the behaviour of people (with SZ), in particular those who have developed patterns of maladaptive behaviour through spending long periods in psychiatric hospitals
• Who trialled a token economy system on female SZ patients (many hospitalised for 16 years)?


  Ayllon and Azrin
• Ayllon and Azrin found that the number of tasks carried out increased around 8 times
• What does TE work base on?

  Operant conditioning (positive reinforcement)
• Tokens are secondary reinforcers
• What are secondary reinforcers?

  Reinforcers that gain their value through association with primary reinforcers.
• What are primary reinforcers?

  Innate stimuli that satisfy basic biological needs.
• What is the rationale for token economies?

  Behaviour modification. Which improves the patient’s quality of life and normalises behaviour which makes it easier for them to adapt back into life in the community