The autotoken economy: Toward a self-sustaining system of reinforcement

The application of the token economy is considered a well-established procedure, but several variables can influence its effectiveness. Self-management, as one potential variable, can reduce a student's dependence on someone else for positive reinforcement. The purpose of the current study was to pilot the use of a traditional token economy reinforcement system delivered by a classroom paraeducator with that of a student-driven autotoken (self-monitoring) reinforcement system across different classrooms and instructional settings. A combined multiple-probe multielement design was implemented across participants to compare the effects of both systems. The primary dependent variable measured was on-task behavior. An increase in on-task behaviors was recorded across all three students (51–90%). However, effect sizes were inconsistent (ranging from 0% to 100%). By demonstrating an improvement in on-task behavior, the autotoken system paves the way for using durable self-monitoring procedures that can be integrated with students across different and flexible instructional situations.