Deck 22: The Token Economy

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true concerning backup reinforcers?

A) they can interfere with the ability of a token to become a conditioned reinforcer
B) they may include activity reinforcers and privileges
C) they cannot involve things that an individual has a basic right to access
D) they should only be available to individuals through token exchange

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The tokens that are selected for use in a token economy must be:

A) intangible
B) convenient to dispense
C) difficult to accumulate
D) available from outside sources

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In a token economy, the token exchange rate refers to the number of tokens:

A) received for each instance of the desirable behavior
B) lost for each instance of undesirable behavior
C) required to obtain backup reinforcers
D) A and C

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A teacher wants to increase the academic performance of the students in her class.The children receive stickers each time they complete an academic task, and when they have accumulated a certain number of stickers they can exchange them for 15 minutes of playing computer games.This program that uses conditioned reinforcers to strengthen a desirable behavior is referred to as:

A) differential reinforcement
B) respondent conditioning
C) behavioral skills training
D) a token economy

Question 5

A researcher plans to implement a token economy with a group of juvenile offenders in a treatment program.What is the first step in planning a token economy?

A) identifying items to use as tokens
B) deciding on the schedule of reinforcement
C) defining the target behavior
D) identifying backup reinforcers

Question 6

A token becomes a conditioned reinforcer because it is paired with:

A) establishing operations
B) backup reinforcers
C) the occurrence of desirable behavior
D) A and B

Question 7

A conditioned reinforcer that is used in a token economy to increase desirable behavior is referred to as a(an):

A) backup reinforcer
B) establishing operation
C) token
D) primary reinforcer

Question 8

Which of the following is true concerning establishing the time and place for exchanging tokens?

A) individuals should always have access to the token store
B) individuals in the token economy should determine the time and place
C) the time and place for token exchange should be planned in advance
D) a specific time and place is only important when a large number of people are involved

Question 9

A researcher is trying to identify items that could be used as tokens to improve the academic performance of hyperactive students.Which of the following items would be good to use as tokens in the token economy?

A) pennies
B) snacks
C) toys
D) all of these

Question 10

Training is necessary in the implementation of a token economy so that change agents are able to consistently:

A) discriminate each instance of the target behavior
B) delay the delivery of tokens after the target behavior occurs
C) implement response cost immediately before the problem behaviors occur
D) A and C

Question 11

When an individual accumulates a specified number of tokens in a token economy, the tokens are exchanged for ____________ reinforcers.

A) conditioned
B) backup
C) secondary
D) negative

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the use of praise in a token economy?

A) praise is a natural conditioned reinforcer for most people
B) praise is faded once the desirable behavior begins to occur regularly
C) praise is continued after the use of tokens has been discontinued
D) praise will become more potent when paired with tokens

Question 13

Which of the following components is NOT always used in a token economy?

A) implementing response cost
B) determining the reinforcement schedule
C) establishing the token exchange rate
D) identifying backup reinforcers

Question 14

At the beginning of a token economy a(an) ____________ reinforcement schedule is often used, and when the desirable behavior begins to occur more frequently a(an) ____________ schedule of reinforcement is used to maintain the behavior.

A) intermittent; continuous
B) continuous; intermittent
C) fixed ratio; continuous
D) variable interval; fixed interval

Question 15

A response cost component might be implemented in a token economy if:

A) undesirable behaviors do not compete with desirable behaviors
B) the problem behaviors are not socially significant
C) the change agent can get the tokens back
D) there are no competing behaviors

Question 16

In a token economy, a token is delivered to an individual immediately ____________ occurs.

A) before the problem behavior
B) after the problem behavior
C) before the desirable behavior
D) after the desirable behavior

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the use of response cost in a token economy?

A) it should be implemented at the beginning of the program
B) clients should be aware of the number of tokens lost for undesirable behavior
C) it involves the loss of tokens for engaging in undesirable behavior
D) the number of tokens lost should depend on the severity of the problem

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT true concerning a token economy?

A) desirable behavior can be immediately reinforced
B) tokens are easy to dispense and accumulate
C) a token economy is easy to implement in terms of time and effort
D) response cost is easier to implement in a token economy

Question 19

Fading is implemented in a token economy:

A) once the individual leaves the treatment program
B) to decrease the probability that the behavior change will generalize
C) because the components of the program are found in most everyday situations
D) when natural reinforcement contingencies can be used to maintain the desired behavior

Question 20

A behavioral definition of the desirable behavior is important in a token economy for all of the following reasons except:

A) individuals will know what is expected of them
B) the desirable behavior can be assigned a label
C) change agents can reliably deliver the tokens
D) the occurrence of the desirable behavior can be recorded

Question 21

Which of the following is true concerning the use of response cost in a token economy?

A) it should be implemented at the beginning of the program
B) clients should not be aware of the number of tokens lost for undesirable behavior
C) it involves the loss of tokens for engaging in undesirable behavior
D) the number of tokens lost should not depend on the severity of the problem

Question 22

Which of the following is true concerning a token economy?

A) desirable behavior can be immediately reinforced
B) tokens are not easy to dispense and accumulate
C) a token economy is easy to implement in terms of time and effort
D) A and C

Question 23

The tokens that are selected for use in a token economy must be all of the following except:

A) easy to dispense
B) easy to accumulate
C) easy to spend
D) easy to duplicate

Question 24

The change agent should provide ________________ to the individual while delivering the tokens for appropriate behavior.

Question 25

Tokens are conditioned reinforcers because they are paired with ___________________ reinforcers.

Question 26

Which of the following is true concerning the use of praise in a token economy?

A) praise is a not natural conditioned reinforcer for most people
B) praise is faded once the desirable behavior begins to occur regularly
C) praise is continued after the use of tokens has been discontinued
D) praise will become more potent if it is only occasionally paired with tokens

Question 27

Tokens are _______________ reinforcers.

Question 28

Which of the following is true concerning backup reinforcers?

A) they may include activity reinforcers and privileges
B) they cannot involve things that an individual has a basic right to access
C) they should only include one or two powerfully reinforcing items
D) A and B

Question 29

In a token economy, a token should be delivered immediately after the occurrence of ____________________.

Question 30

In a response cost component of a token economy, a token is ____________________ after the occurrence of an undesirable target behavior.

Question 31

How are back-up reinforcers obtained in a token economy?

A) by paying for them with tokens
B) in a response cost program
C) they are delivered following appropriate behavior
D) A and C

Question 32

In a token economy, tokens may be taken away following a problem behavior to decrease the behavior.This is a called a(n) ________________ procedure.

Question 33

A change agent should always deliver the tokens ________________ the desirable behavior.

Question 34

A ____________ that is used in a token economy to increase desirable behavior is referred to as a token

A) unconditioned reinforcer
B) conditioned stimulus
C) conditioned reinforcer
D) unconditioned stimulus

Question 35

Why would you not want to use money (e.g., quarters) as tokens in a token economy for juvenile delinquents in a residential treatment program?

A) they may not know the value of money
B) theft may become a problem
C) counterfeiting may become a problem
D) they might lose it easily

Question 36

Provide 3 examples of items that can be used as tokens.________________

Question 37

In a token economy, a(n) __________________ is delivered immediately after the occurrence of a desirable target behavior.

Question 38

In a token economy tokens are exchanged for _________________________.

Question 39

Fading the use of tokens in a token economy:

A) is started shortly after the person begins the program
B) increases the chance that the behavior change will generalize from the token economy to the natural environment
C) should be avoided because it make the token economy less effective
D) A and B

Question 40

A wide variety of back-up reinforcers is best to use in a token economy because:

A) satiation is more likely to occur
B) satiation is less likely to occur
C) it is more likely that there will be something that is reinforcing for everybody in the program
D) B and C

Question 41

Most often the token exchange rate remains stagnant throughout the token economy program.

Question 42

A token must be tangible, practical, and convenient to carry and dispense.

Question 43

Nutritious meals and training activities are good examples of back-up reinforcers.

Question 44

What is the purpose of a token economy?

Question 45

Token economies always use a response cost procedure.

Question 46

When a response cost procedure is included, it should be introduced after the token economy has been in place for a period of time.

Question 47

Describe 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages involved in the use of a token economy.

Question 48

A specific time and place is chosen for exchanging tokens for back up reinforcers.

Question 49

A __________________ is a behavior modification procedure in which conditioned reinforcers called tokens are used to strengthen desirable behaviors in individuals.

Question 50

There is typically a delay between when the target behavior occurs and when the tokens are given.

Question 51

When a response cost procedure is included, it should be introduced before the token economy has been in place for a period of time.

Question 52

Clients may accumulate tokens but not keep them in their possession.

Question 53

Why is it important for a response cost procedure to not result in a loss of all tokens?

Question 54

How does a token become a conditioned reinforcer?

Question 55

The effectiveness of a token as a reinforcer depends on the back-up reinforcers.

Question 56

Why is it important for clients to earn enough tokens to exchange for back-up reinforcers in the early phases of the token economy?

Question 57

Why wouldn't the use of pencils in a school setting be an acceptable item for a token?