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.
References
1.
AtthoweJ. M.Jr.KrasnerL. (1968). Preliminary report on the application of contingent reinforcement procedures (token economy) on a “chronic” psychiatric ward. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 73: 37.
2.
AyllonT.AzrinN. H. (1968). The Token Economy: A Motivational System for Therapy and Rehabilitation.Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York.
3.
GerickeJ. R. (1967). Problems for behavioural therapy in mental hospitals. Psychology Reports, 20: 534.
4.
GruenbergE. M. (1967). The social breakdown syndrome — some origins. American Journal of Psychiatry, 123: 1481.
5.
KazdinA. E. (1972). Token economies: an annotated bibliography. Mimeo. Pennsylvania State University.
6.
KrasnerL.AtthoweJ. M.Jr.SilvaJ. (1969). Token economy bibliography. Mimeo. State University of New York at Stoney Brook.
7.
SchaeferH. H.MartinP. L. (1966). Behavior therapy for “apathy” of hospitalised schizophrenics. Psychology Reports, 19: 1147.
