Token Economy

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a token economy system in comparison to social praise on the manifest behaviors of learning disabled students at an elementary school in West Virginia. The null hypothesis of this study was that there would be no significant difference between a token economy system in comparison to social praise on the manifest behaviors of learning disabled students. The following research question was examined in this study: What are the effects of a token economy system in comparison to social praise on the manifest behaviors of learning disabled students? Literature relevant to this study revealed that a token economy system can be an effective method for changing or controlling student behavior (Mathur, 1996; Rhode, Morgan, & Young, 1983; Turkewitz, O’Leary, & Ironsmith, 1975; DeMartini-Scully, 2000). Some cautions suggested in the study were also noted. Token economy systems can be time-consuming and costly (Lovitt, 1978). Further research revealed that a strategy that may be effective in a token economy system is to fade away from the constant reinforcing with tangible rewards and have students monitor their own performance (Rhode, Morgan, & Young, 1983; Turkewitz, O’Leary