Token economy

Ayllon & Azrin (1968)

A token economy is a system in which an individual is rewarded for demonstrating the desired behavior and is rewarded by earning a token/chip/marker that can be exchanged for the desired prize. The token acts as a physical representation of the number of times the individual has demonstrated the desired behavior.

  • Tokens are given to reward positive behaviours such as self-care or engaging in group or 1 on 1 counselling sessions

  • This treatment is based upon operant conditioning

  • The tokens are in effect secondary reinforcers, which quickly become associated with the patient gaining what they want by engaging in a positive way

  • This has been seen to bring about the rapid change in patients suffering from a wide range of problems, especially schizophrenic patients, who are notoriously hard to engage in treatment programs and whose behaviour is highly problematic to manage otherwise

  • Token is secondary reinforcer - no inherent meaning to the token itself but can be exchanged fro a primary reinforcer - the reward

Ayllon and Azrin (1968)

  • Used it on a ward of female schizophrenic patients, many of who had been hospitalised for many years

  • Given plastic tokens for good behaviour e.g. making their beds. Tokens then exchanged for privileges like watching a movie.

  • Found that use of token economy with these patients dramatically increased the number of desirable behaviours that the patients performed each day.

Extra AO1:

  • Based on operant conditioning

  • Used in psychiatric institutions, prisons and schools

  • Can produce improvements in chronically institutionalised individuals with schizophrenia

  • 3 categories of institutionalised behaviour that can be tackled by token economy:

    1. Personal care - generally looking after yourself

    2. Social behaviour - behaving socially, engaging with other patients, no anti-social behaviour

    3. Condition-related behaviour - catatonic behaviour, avolition

  • benefits of modifying this behaviour - quality of life improvement, normalises behaviour

Token economy, first introduced for schizophrenic patients by Ayllon and Azrin in 1968, is based on the idea of operant conditioning. In terms of schizophrenia, a patient would be rewarded tokens in exchange for positive behaviour such as making their bed, socialising with other people, or avoiding condition related behaviour like avolition. The tokens act as a secondary reinforcer, as they are used as a currency for the primary reinforcer or reward, like going for a walk, or getting a sweet treat. Once the patient gains enough tokens, they can claim the reward. This system aims to modify negative behaviour, which ultimately will improve the patient’s quality of life and normalise the way that they behave. This has been seen to bring about the rapid change in patients suffering from a wide range of problems, especially schizophrenic patients, who are notoriously hard to engage in treatment programs and whose behaviour is highly problematic to manage otherwise.