Psych 282 Token Economies Test Questions And Answers With Complete Solutions

token - a tangible symbol that can be given immediately after a behaviour and exchanged later for known reinforcers, called backup reinforcers Token economies are - - directed at changing the behaviours of groups of people, not just an individual - directed at changing a number of target behaviours - apply complex systems to manage the consequences of behaviours What needs to be considered when starting a token economy - • decide on the target behaviours • conduct a functional assessment to determine the antecedents and consequences involved in the behaviours • recruit staff members to administer the program • train staff to: - identify the target behaviours - modify the antecedents and consequences - record data - and administer the tokens • collect baseline data What is needed to set up a token economy? - • set up materials and equipment e.g., choose the items to use as tokens, backup reinforcers, data sheets, etc.• set up facilities e.g., large institutions may have a "store" where tokens may be exchanged for backup reinforcers tokens can be - • poker chips • stars or stamps on a chart • checkmarks in a table • entries on a data sheet • specially printed paper money practical considerations for tokens - • durable; they may have to be used for an extended period of time • inexpensive • convenient to transport, store, and handle • readily accessible to the practitioner, and easy to dispense • not be harmful to the learners (e.g., avoid small items that may present a choking hazard to small children) • difficult to steal or counterfeit • tokens themselves should not be desirable objects How is a token economy phased out? - - thin the schedule of reinforcement: • decrease the number of tokens earned by a behaviour • decrease the number of behaviours that are eligible for tokens• increasing the numbers of tokens needed to exchange for a backup reinforcer - delay reinforcement: increase time between receiving tokens and opportunities for redeeming them for backup reinforcers - replace programmed reinforcers (tokens) with natural reinforcers Benefits of Token Economies - - an effective way of changing problem behaviours - gains from token economy show greater response maintenance than other behaviour change procedures -participants in token economies ate their satisfaction as high; token economies can help people develop real-world skills (e.g., working for pay, managing money) - token economies may also help reduce costs (e.g., by enhancing safety in industry) problems of token economies - - gains may be loss after the person leaves the token economy (academic skills are likely to be retained) - high costs are often involved - criticized as demeaning essential components of a token economy - 1. The desirable target behaviors to be strengthened 2. The tokens to be used as conditioned reinforcers 3. The backup reinforcers to be exchanged for the tokens4. A reinforcement schedule for token delivery 5. The rate at which tokens are exchanged for the backup reinforcers 6. A time and place for exchanging tokens for backup