Point Shaving: Uncovering the Misunderstood Merit of Token Economies

Token economies often get a bad rap.

About a year ago, this prompted me to dedicate a post about token economies and their role in our work. Given the ongoing misconceptions, I think it’s crucial to revisit this subject and give some insights. This bad reputation typically stems from the perception that ABA clinicians overuse token economies.

This is partially true.

The fundamental purpose of a token economy is to help learners gauge how long it will take to earn a reinforcer. Whether it's through a temporal measure or a series of steps, token economies provide a visual and tangible way for learners to see their own progress in relation to gaining access to reinforcement (or escape from a potential punisher).

For instance, if you're offering an iPad for completing a task like washing hands, giving tokens (or points) on a token board at each step helps the learner understand how close they are to earning that iPad. It's a simple yet powerful use of symbols as a heuristic. And guess what? We use token economies all the time in our daily lives.

Think about your Google calendar. It functions as a token economy. You use it to gauge how close you are to the weekend or a planned event (yes, these events may be reinforcers or punishers). Fridays are so reinforcing because they symbolize the impending weekend. Our schedules help us measure time and our proximity to desired activities. The same principle applies to those point systems we use with kiddos.

Another example is that little battery symbol on your smartphone. Its a token economy for measuring how close or far you are from the potential punishment of a dead device. The same goes for your fuel gauge on your car.

So it’s not the overuse of token economies that is the issue—token economies are everywhere, like we discussed.

That’s the common misconception.

It’s the overuse of certain types of token economies that is the problem. Namely point systems and visual schedules. It’s that we don’t fade them out. And we don’t teach our learners to engage with more advanced token economies.

I've seen cases where kids are using point systems and visual schedules…for…like…years. This overuse can lead to frustration and the misconception that point systems are a cure-all. We need to understand their purpose and use them wisely.

A token economy should be faded into something more appropriate as the learner develops. To-do lists or even written schedules can replace point systems and visual schedules once the learner is ready. Another is the ability to tell time. The key is to transition to tools that help them measure time and tasks in a more sophisticated and appropriate way.

Consider how we use maps to navigate. Token economies are like a map for learners, helping them see where they are and where they need to go. It reduces anxiety by providing a clear structure and timeline for tasks.

In summary, we all use token economies in some form, and they are an essential tool in ABA. However, point systems and visual schedules are great starting points, but are not a permanent solution.

We teach kids all kinds of things. And helping learners gauge their progress and transition to more complex systems is one of those things. If you have any thoughts or experiences with token economies, feel free to share. Send this post to your coworkers if you found it resonating with you and your learners, or if you found it to be a great reminder!

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Martin Myers is a BCBA with a passion for helping improve the field of ABA. He is the creator of BxMastery, with over 4,000 goal ideas, sequenced, to inspire your programming. With 10+ years of experience in the field, he’s dedicated to empowering others and fostering positive change through effective leadership and communication. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more insights and updates.