The Effect of Token Reinforcement on Verbal Participation in a Social Activity with Long Stay Psychiatric Patients *

Abstract

A token reinforcement programme was set up to increase verbal participation in a weekly quiz for a ward of 38 male long term psychiatric patients. Response rates were measured and it was found that the amount of participation increased markedly when reinforced but returned to the original low level when reinforcement was discontinued. The study demonstrates that a token reinforcement procedure is effective in increasing the patients& verbal participation in a social activity.