A token economy is a system of contingency management based on the systematic reinforcement of a target behavior, in which the reinforcers are symbols or tokens that can later be exchanged for other reinforcers, such as privileges or goods. It rests on the principles of operant conditioning and behavioral economics and sits within the broader practice of applied behavior analysis. In applied settings token economies are used with both children and adults, and they have also been studied experimentally with animals such as pigeons in laboratory settings, underscoring the general behavioral principles the technique is built on.
Facts
Core ClaimA token economy is a system of contingency management based on the systematic reinforcement of target behavior, in which the reinforcers are symbols or tokens that can be exchanged for other reinforcers. 1 FAQs
What makes a token economy work in a classroom?
It works through the backup reinforcer the tokens can be traded for. Choose it by assessing the student's interests.
The token has no value of its own. It works because it is traded in for a backup reinforcer, such as extra recess or a preferred activity, after a set number of tokens is earned, so the success of the system depends on how appealing that backup reinforcer is. For that reason teachers assess a student's interests before choosing it. Teachers also decide in advance how many tokens are needed, and as the student becomes familiar with the system they raise that number or set new goals, because tokens that become too easy to earn can lose their effect.
Connections
Developed By
Source Montrose M. Wolf (1935-2004)
Source Token economy (Wikipedia)
In Approach
Source Token economy (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Token economy (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead paragraph
A token economy is a system of contingency management based on the systematic reinforcement of target behavior. The reinforcers are symbols or tokens that can be exchanged for other reinforcers.
History section, Ayllon and Azrin
The very first token economy bearing that name was founded by Ayllon and Azrin in 1961 at Anna State Hospital in Illinois.
Lead paragraph, education-level
In applied settings token economies are used with children and adults; however, they have been successfully modeled with pigeons in lab settings.
Developed By: Nathan Azrin
The very first token economy bearing that name was founded by Ayllon and Azrin in 1961 at Anna State Hospital in Illinois.
In Group: Conditioning and Behavior Analysis Theories, Lead
A token economy is a system of contingency management based on the systematic reinforcement of target behavior.
View the Source Montrose M. Wolf (1935-2004)
Developed By: Montrose WolfQuote, Developed By: Montrose Wolf
who first engineered a token economy into a useful motivational system
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