What is considered the most important element of a token economy?

The most important element of a token economy is the back-up reinforcer. In a token economy system, tokens are used as a form of reinforcement that individuals can accumulate and exchange for back-up reinforcers. These back-up reinforcers are items or activities that have been pre-established as valuable and desirable to the individual. The effectiveness of the token economy relies heavily on the back-up reinforcers, as they ultimately serve the purpose of motivating and reinforcing the desired behaviors.

In essence, back-up reinforcers must be meaningful to the individual in order to maintain their interest and engagement in the token economy. If the back-up reinforcers do not hold value for the individual, the incentive to earn tokens diminishes, negatively impacting the effectiveness of the entire system. Therefore, having well-selected and appealing back-up reinforcers is crucial for the success of the token economy and the reinforcement process.