Token Economy

›One of the most commonly used behavior management interventions

›It involves awarding ("reinforcing" someone with) tokens, chips, stickers, check marks, points, stars, or other items/markings to people who demonstrate desired behaviors identified by the therapist.

›Then, they exchange the tokens for rewards, which are items or activities desirable to them.

 ›Token economies have great flexibility and utility. 

 ›The reason for the effectiveness is that a token or check mark is visible evidence of success and progress.

Over time, the tokens are periodically devalued so that people must perform at a higher level to earn the same value in back-up reinforcers. This promotes continual improvement in behavior or performance.

Remember: 

›This program shouldn’t be applied for long periods.

 ›Do a careful registration of the program.                                                                                                                                      How to Use Token Economies

1. Select the behaviors to be rewarded.
2. State the desired behaviors in specific and observable terms
3. Decide how you will measure the behaviors
4. Decide where to monitor the behaviors
5. Select the initial reinforcer (use a reinforcer that is easy to administer and convenient to store.  
 6. Select your back-up reinforcers, be sure that the reinforcers are appropriate.
7.  Place a price (in tokens) on your back-up reinforcers, develop a wall chart that lists the number of tokens needed to purchase each back-up reinforcer.
8.  Place a value on the tokens. 
 9. Develop your own monitoring sheet to keep track of awards and fines, and deciding how often and when tokens can be exchanged for back-up reinforcers.
10. Implement the program, providing the tokens as soon as they are earned.