Effects of and preference for conditions of token earn versus token loss.
First graders behaved better when they risked losing tokens than when they earned them, and most liked the loss version more.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The researchers worked with first graders in a regular classroom.
They compared two token systems: earning tokens for good behavior and losing tokens for disruptions.
Each child tried both systems on different days while the teacher tracked rule breaking.
Kids also said which system they liked better.
What they found
Both setups cut down disruptions, but losing tokens worked more evenly across kids.
Most children actually preferred the loss version.
They said it felt clearer and fairer.
How this fits with other research
Silva et al. (2020) ran the same earn-versus-removal test with the Good Behavior Game.
They too saw equal behavior gains and a student preference for taking tokens away.
Together the two studies show the pattern holds across different class-wide programs.
Siegel et al. (1970) first showed classroom tokens can shape school skills; Whitehouse et al. (2014) now show the same tool can cut problem behavior faster when you flip the contingency to loss.
Why it matters
You can keep the same token board and simply change the rule: start everyone with tokens and remove one for each rule break.
First graders work just as hard to keep a token as to earn one, and most like it better.
Try a quick A-B comparison in your own class—one week earn, one week loss—and let the kids vote.
You may get steadier behavior with less setup.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The effects of earning and losing tokens on the disruptive behavior of 12 first-grade students were evaluated under symmetrical contingencies of earn and loss. Both contingencies produced decreases in disruptive behavior. For some participants, more consistent decreases were observed during the loss contingency. In addition, participants generally earned or kept more tokens during the loss contingency. When offered a choice of contingencies, most participants preferred the loss contingency. The results showed some consistency with behavioral economic principles of loss aversion and the endowment effect.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2014 · doi:10.1002/jaba.135