Token economies have been proven to work in many different situations and Tolman High School's at-risk students would be great candidates for this type of behavior modification. A token economy would work well in Tolman's environment and it would be very beneficial with our students. .
A token economy is a technique used by therapists to reward patients. Tokens are given to the patient when they act in certain ways, and these tokens can be exchanged for rewards at a later time. Tokens are worth nothing in themselves but can be exchanged for something of value. Token economies have been used in many different settings including schools, prisons, and mental hospitals. They have been quite successful in settings that contain people with disruptive behavior patterns such as schools and prisons.
Some of the advantages of a token economy are as follows: tokens are attractive to subjects, there is a gap between response and reinforcement, they can be administered anywhere, there is no interruption of behavior, and they permit the use of substantial reinforcers. Some of the disadvantages of token economies are: they have only short-term goals, it can get costly, potential for abusing the system, and it's hard to modify an already established token economy.
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Tolman High School should implement token economies for its at-risk students. It would teach them to work hard for what they want and reinforces their positive actions. Teachers could identify target behaviors, define these behaviors, conduct analyses, train staff, and establish baselines. It would be beneficial for Tolman High School's at-risk students because this might change their outlook on themselves and on learning in general. .
Token economies work well as a behavior modification tool. They should only be used in environments where positive reinforcements can be used and behavior modification is needed. Tolman's high-risk students would benefit greatly from this type of behavior modification.