Token economy

• Token economy

  Tokens are awarded for a desirable behaviour change - based on operant conditioning
• What symptoms does token economy aim to reduce?

  Negative symptoms such as avolition & speech poverty
• Steps in token economies

  - clinicians set target behaviours

  - tokens are awarded every time the patient engages in the target behaviour

  - behaviours become associated with rewards

  - tokens are used as secondary reinforcers: they can be traded for valuable things

  - frequent exchange periods mean the behaviours can be quickly reinforced
• Ayllon & Azrin


  Found that token economies dramatically increased the number of desirable behaviours shown by female patients with SZ
• Dickerson et al


  Reviewed 13 studies and found that token economy works best in combination with antipsychotics so shouldn't be seen as a treatment in itself
• Ethical issue with token economy

  Clinicians may exercise control over important primary reinforcers such as food and privacy which are basic human rights
• Social implications of token economy

  Any positive effects are short-lived, leading to high re-admittance rates

  - shows that token economy doesn't work outside of the hospital