ABSTRACT | PDF
From the pages of history
Token economy
Arnab Bhattacharya, Susmita Hazarika
Postgraduate Trainees of Psychiatry, Silchar Medical College and Hospital
More than 50 years ago Nathan Azrin, Gordon Paul, Leonard Krasner, Teodoro Allyon pioneered the concept of token economy, being inspired by Skinner’s Operant Conditioning principles. In this system, a range of self care, social and work behaviours could be modified by systematic and preplanned use of antecedents (e.g. prompts) and consequences (e.g. reinforcers) of those behaviours.
In economy, tokens credit cards could be given to patients contingent on their exhibiting improvements in behaviour. Later on, these tokens could be exchanged for a variety of rewards e.g. candy, beverages, personal radio, television, single room, special privileges etc.
Initially the system was begun on patients with schizophrenia but subsequently extended to mentally retarded subjects, adolescents with conduct disorders and psychiatric patients in day hospitals.
Reference: Liberman RP. Token Economy. Am J Psychiatry 2000; 157(9):1398.
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