Which term describes a system of earning tokens for desired behaviors?

Which term describes a system of earning tokens for desired behaviors?

• A. Stimulus Generalization
• B. Token Economy
• C. Response Generalization
• D. Stimulus Discrimination

Answer: (B)

A token economy is a system where individuals earn tokens for engaging in desired behaviors, and those tokens can later be exchanged for backup reinforcers like prizes or activities. Tokens act as conditioned reinforcers because their value comes from their association with the actual rewards they'll purchase. This setup provides immediate, tangible feedback, makes reinforcement history easy to track, and supports shaping behavior through a clear exchange mechanism. It’s widely used in classrooms and clinical settings to boost on-task behavior, cooperation, or compliance. A quick contrast: the other terms describe aspects of stimulus control or generalization rather than a reinforcement system. Stimulus generalization is when a response occurs to stimuli similar to the one trained with reinforcement; response generalization is when a person emits different, yet functionally equivalent, responses; stimulus discrimination is the ability to differentiate between signals that do and do not predict reinforcement.

A token economy is a system where individuals earn tokens for engaging in desired behaviors, and those tokens can later be exchanged for backup reinforcers like prizes or activities. Tokens act as conditioned reinforcers because their value comes from their association with the actual rewards they'll purchase. This setup provides immediate, tangible feedback, makes reinforcement history easy to track, and supports shaping behavior through a clear exchange mechanism. It’s widely used in classrooms and clinical settings to boost on-task behavior, cooperation, or compliance.

A quick contrast: the other terms describe aspects of stimulus control or generalization rather than a reinforcement system. Stimulus generalization is when a response occurs to stimuli similar to the one trained with reinforcement; response generalization is when a person emits different, yet functionally equivalent, responses; stimulus discrimination is the ability to differentiate between signals that do and do not predict reinforcement.