token economy: Meaning and Definition of

to'ken econ"omy

Pronunciation: [key]
— Psychiatry. Psychiatry.
  1. a method of encouraging desirable behavior, esp. in a hospital setting, by offering rewards of token money that can be exchanged for special food, access to television, and other bonuses.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.