|
A token economy is a behavioral modification technique that was
first used in mental institutions to reinforce and establish
desirable behaviors in their patients. Today you can find token
economies being used in schools, treatment programs, and some
families have found it useful in shaping their children's
behavior. The token economy is a system in which targeted
behaviors are reinforced with tokens (secondary reinforcers) and
are later exchanged for rewards (primary reinforcers). Tokens
can be in the form of fake money, buttons, poker chips,
stickers, etc. While rewards can range anywhere from snacks to
privileges/activities.
To establish a token economy in your home first you must
identify the behaviors you want your children to change
(desirable behaviors). These behaviors could include completing
homework, brushing teeth, coming home on time, completing
chores, not arguing, going to bed without a hassle, etc. You
will want to limit your focus to a maximum of three or four
behaviors at a time in order to keep things manageable.
Next, decide what you will use for tokens. You may want to
assign different tokens for each of your children to reduce the
risk of taking each other's tokens. You will also want to use
something that can't be counterfeited.
Primary reinforcers need to be identified and can include such
things as snacks, activities, or privileges like watching
television, playing at a friends, computer time, etc. Now that
the desired behaviors are identified, as are the primary
reinforcers, you will need to set a value for each of them. That
is, when a desired behavior occurs how many tokens is it going
to be worth? Also, when your child wants to exchange the tokens
they have earned for a primary reinforcer, there will need to be
a predetermined value placed on the primary reinforcer. As a
primary reinforcer you could have playing at a friends house
worth three tokens, thirty minutes on the computer two tokens,
going to a school activity worth three tokens etc. The trick is
striking the right balance between what they are earning each
day and what they will typically expend on primary reinforcers.
If tokens come to easily then the primary reinforcers lose their
value. While if primary reinforcers are priced too high or
tokens are too difficult to earn then your child may give up.
Now that you have the system in place you are ready to implement
it. First, identify three or four behaviors you want to
reinforce. Then list them and decide how many tokens each
behavior is going to be worth. You may want to put this list on
the fridge or some place where it can be easily seen. Then you
will identify primary reinforcers and determine how many tokens
each will cost. This list should be placed some place easily
seen too.
When you catch your children engaging in the desirable behaviors
you have identified, reinforce the behavior by providing the
predetermined number of tokens. It is important to couple the
dispersing of tokens with a behavioral description of what you
saw and verbal praise. Eventually, you will want to move on to
other desirable behaviors that you want to reinforce and will
rely solely on verbal praise to maintain previously established
behaviors. The reinforcement schedule should transition from a
continuous schedule of reinforcement (1 behavior : 1 token) to a
variable ratio schedule of reinforcement (3-5 behavior : 1
token). Last, you will fade out tokens completely using only
praise to maintain the behavior. You will then focus on other
behaviors and repeat the same pattern.
Your children will need to be responsible to keep track of and
manage the tokens they earn. There will come a time when they
will want to purchase primary reinforcers. They should always
pay for them before being allowed to engage in or partake of
primary reinforcers, otherwise the program loses its
credibility. If they run out of or lose their tokens they simply
can not purchase a primary reinforcer until they have earned
enough.
What does this kind of a reinforcement system do for your
children? It takes away the sense of entitlement a lot of kids
have today. Instead of expecting privileges or activities for
nothing on their part, they now have to earn them by the
acquisition of tokens through their good behavior. A token
economy can help a child be more responsible and teach them how
to manage their resources. Something else that it does is
teaches children to delay gratification where the world teaches
them to expect and desire instant gratification. Lastly, the
token economy can be used to eliminate misbehaviors and
establish positive behaviors.
A token economy will require some effort on the part of the
parent but the benefits far outweigh the small amount of time a
parent has to invest.
About the author:
Destry Maycock has over eleven years experience working with
children and families as a professional social worker. Destry
has helped hundreds of parents solve a variety of parenting
challenges and strengthen their relationships with their
children. Destry enjoys developing products that help parents.
Visit http://www.parentingstore.com to see the latest parenting
programs.
|
