You read about a program designed to help patients in a psychiatric hospital take better care of themselves and their environment and engage in more positive social interactions. After engaging in specified behaviors, the patients are given plastic chips that can be exchanged later for rewards and privileges. Such systems are technically known as

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Token economies are systems where individuals earn tokens for engaging in specified behaviors. These tokens can then be exchanged for rewards or privileges, which reinforces positive behavior. This method is often used in therapeutic settings, including psychiatric hospitals, to encourage self-care, positive social interactions, and other beneficial behaviors.  Desired behaviors are explicitly defined, and token payoffs are given by the staff when the behaviors are performed. Tokens can be dispensed rapidly and are portable. Their reinforcing effects depend only on the perception of receiving them and not on biological processing, as in the case of primary reinforcers.

You Read About a Program Designed to Help Patients in a Psychiatric