Token Economy To Change Your Child’s Behavior

An effective method for the education of our children is the token economy. We tell you what it is and what to do to put it into practice.

The token economy is a strategy recommended by psychologists to stimulate changes in children’s behavior. In educational centers, teachers use it frequently to generate appropriate behaviors and eradicate negative ones. Used well, it can be a very effective technique.

It is a reward system whose psychological basis is positive reinforcement.  When the child has a desirable behavior that is being emphasized, points are awarded. You can then exchange those points for prizes.

How to use the token economy

This token economy technique aims to stimulate and establish desirable behaviors. These are actions that the child resists doing naturally.

Generally, the token economy is useful in fostering interest in certain activities that are not attractive to the child. It also serves to regulate inappropriate social behaviors. The system leads the child to associate the behavior to be acquired with something positive.

How to apply the token economy?

1.- Preparation

First, you need to plan your system. The materials will be prepared, as the system requires it to be visible. The child is by nature concrete, and needs to see his evolution.

The cards will be chosen and prepared. For young children, stars, faces or stickers will be very attractive. For the larger ones, you can use vouchers or numbers that are usually printed on paper, cardboard or plastic.

A board will also be prepared in which the child’s progress will be recorded. The chips won, lost or exchanged on the board will make the evolution visible. In a column the days of the week will be located. This panel will be placed where it is visible and well controlled.

2.- Prize

A prize is established that will be awarded when the child manages to accumulate a certain number of chips previously agreed upon. It should be something that the little one likes a lot: a toy that he wants, going to the amusement park, eating hamburgers, etc. The important thing is that it is a really motivating award for him.

3.- Basic definitions

Some basic definitions will be explained to the child: indicators of the behavior to be favored and conditions for exchanging tokens for prizes. Specific behaviors must be defined.

When setting up the system, the age of the child must be considered. For the little ones, a reduced number of chips should be established, because if the goal is very long-term, they will lose interest. For older children, the number of tiles to change should be greater.

Conditions to consider when designing a token economy

• Focus on the positive. Sometimes they make the mistake of presenting the negative behaviors that they want to change in the table. For example, “don’t leave everything lying around in the room.” It is much more effective to choose positive behaviors that are incompatible with negative ones: “leave the room tidy.”
• Pretend possible behaviors. It is important to plan for possible and realistic changes. There are changes in behavior that are impossible to achieve overnight. An example is the eradication of tantrums. If a child experiences episodes of tantrums 5 or 6 times a day, it will be impossible for him to eliminate them all together. You will fail and that will cause you frustration.

One effective way is to propose reducing the number of tantrums. When it is successful, the final elimination will be proposed.

• Maintain the system consistently. Once the token economy is established, you must be consistent. Otherwise, it won’t work; This is the mission of the parents.
• Establish prizes according to change. The choice of the prizes will be agreed between the parents and the child. If the child really wants that prize, they will do their best to get it. Big prizes will demand big changes.
• Involve the child in preparing the system. You can help build the board, choose the shapes of the tiles, and design them. This will lead to greater involvement and participation from the beginning.

A token economy cannot last forever, but as the child makes the expected change, the system will gradually begin to be phased out, either by increasing the tokens needed for the prize or by combining two behaviors, for example.