token economy
noun Psychiatry.
a method of encouraging desirable behavior, especially in a hospital setting, by offering rewards of token money that can be exchanged for special food, access to television, and other bonuses.
Origin of token economy
First recorded in 1965–70
Words nearby token economy
tokay,
toke,
tokelau,
tokelau islands,
token,
token economy,
token money,
token payment,
token strike,
token vote,
tokenism
British Dictionary definitions for token economy
token economy
noun
a type of psychotherapy in which the inmates of an institution are rewarded for good behaviour with tokens that can be exchanged for privileges