Token economy

• Token economy


  A technique designed to modify behaviour through the principle of operant conditioning, using positive reinforcement to increase the frequency of good behaviour and reduce the frequency of bad behaviour, with the goal of extinguishing bad behaviour
• Token economy


  • Commonly used in institutional settings such as prisons, schools, and residential treatment facilities
  • Can also be used at home by parents who understand how to apply a token economy
• Operant conditioning


  The principle on which a token economy is based
• Token economy


  1. People earn tokens when they exhibit good behaviour

  2. People can save their tokens up and trade them for things they want, which is a form of reinforcement

  3. People might collect tickets for exhibiting desirable behaviours, and trade them for rewards like candy, outside privileges, and other things they might want
• The tokens themselves are not a reinforcement, but a way for people to access reinforcement