Management

Question 1

What are token economies?

Answer 1

-a form of behavioural modification
-desirable behaviours are encouraged by the use of selective reinforcement

Question 2

What is an outcome of institutionalisation?

Answer 2

-people develop bad habits
-might cease to maintain good hygiene or perhaps stop socialising with others
-understandable response to living without routine and small pleasures

Question 3

What did Matson do?

Answer 3

-identified 3 categories of institutional behaviour commonly tackled by token economies

Question 4

What are the 3 categories of institutional behaviour?

Answer 4

1. personal care
2. condition-related behaviours
3. social behaviour

Question 5

What are 2 benefits of modifying behaviours?

Answer 5

1. improves quality of life within hospital
   -makeup for someone who usually takes pride if appearance
2. normalises behaviour
   -makes it easier for people who have spent a time in hospital to adapt back into life in the community

Question 6

What is involved in a token economy?

Answer 6

-coloured discs are given immediately to individuals when they have carried out desirable behaviour
-target behaviours are decided on an individual basis and is important to know the person to identify the most appropriate target behaviours

Question 7

What is behaviour modification?

Answer 7

-a behavioural therapy based on operant conditioning

Question 8

What are secondary reinforcers?

Answer 8

-tokens are secondary reinforcers as they only have value once the person receiving them had learned that they can be used to obtain meaningful rewards

Question 9

What are primary reinforcers?

Answer 9

-tokens that can be exchanged for a range of different primary reinforces
-the meaningful rewards

Question 10

What is support to token economies?

Answer 10

-evidence for their effectiveness
-Glowacki identified 7 studies that examined effectiveness of token economies for people with chronic mental health issues
-all studies showed a reduction in - symptoms and a decline in the frequency of unwanted behaviours

Question 11

What is a contradiction to token economies?

Answer 11

-ethical issues raised
-gives professionals considerable power to control behaviour of people in the role of patient
-involves imposing one persons norms on to others
-problematic if target behaviours are not identified sensitively
-means that the benefits of tokens economies may be outweighed by their impact on personal freedom and short term reduction in quality of life