Behavioral effects of price changes in a token economy.

Male psychiatric patients who participated in a token system were exposed to changes in the token price of available commodities. In the first experiment, the price of cigarettes was first raised, then lowered. As predicted, consumption of cigarettes decreased during price increases and increased during price decreases. Contrary to expectations, subjects did not consume less of other commodities or increase their earnings in order to purchase cigarettes at the higher prices. In the second experiment, which again raised and lowered the price of cigarettes, evidence was found for the notion that the proportional price change rather than the absolute price change governed cigarette consumption behavior.