Reinforcing self-help group activities of welfare recipients.

Siegel et al. (1970) ran a small reversal study at welfare self-help meetings. They gave donated household items and welfare-service info to people who showed up.

The team counted heads each week. When gifts stopped, they watched numbers drop. When gifts returned, they watched numbers rise again.

Average attendance jumped from 3 to 15 people per meeting when the donated goods were available. When the items were removed, attendance fell back to baseline.

The same up-and-down pattern repeated each time the reinforcers were added or removed, showing the gifts were driving the change.

Potter et al. (2013) later tested cash instead of donated goods. Homeless adults in job training doubled their hours when paid for attendance and performance. The 1970 gift model still worked, but cash extended the idea to a tougher population and a stricter program.

Winters et al. (2026) found a crash after incentives ended. HIV patients kept every appointment while paid, then stopped the moment cash stopped. Siegel et al. (1970) did not track long-term maintenance, so the 2026 paper warns us the gain may vanish when the money does.

Wearden et al. (1983) saw the same fade in a workplace weight-loss program. Employees hit goals while refunds flowed, then regained weight after refunds stopped. Together these studies show token economies spark quick, big lifts, but you need a plan to keep the behavior when the tokens disappear.

If you run parent training, social-skills groups, or any voluntary adult service, pair attendance with a small, tangible item. A donated bus pass, grocery card, or household good can triple turnout overnight. Just remember to plan for fading or replacement so the crowd does not melt away when the gifts do.