Token Economy

Sometimes it is not practical to reward a child every hour of the day or after every time the target behavior has been completed.  Sometimes it is more practical to reward a child at the end of the day. The problem arises when the child cannot seem to wait until the end of the day. The child doesn’t have enough willpower and patience to continue to be compliant, so they can earn a reward at the end of the day. The child needs a more immediate reward for good behavior. When this problem arises, a token economy can be a good solution.

A token is an object that is a place holder for a reward that will come. A token can be a poker chip, a ticket, a check mark, a sticker, or any other object. Some children will only respond to a tangible object that they can hold, other children will respond to a stamp, check mark, or smiley face. Important factors to remember when building a token economy are the premack principle, satiation, and reinforcement schedules. Other important factors to focus on are whether or not you are using negative reinforcement (helping the child subtract negative behavior) or using positive reinforcement (helping the child add positive behavior).