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There is limited research evaluating behavioral skills training (BST) in university classrooms to teach stimulus preference assessments. We evaluated the effects of BST on three preservice school psychologists' performance with the multiple-stimulus without-replacement preference assessment. A single BST session improved performance across participants, and improvements were maintained 1 week after BST. Limitations, directions for future research, and suggestions for maximizing the efficiency of BST in university classrooms are discussed.

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The multiple-stimulus-without-replacement (MSWO) preference assessment is commonly used in behavior-analytic research and practice. As originally published, the MSWO included 5 sessions in an effort to confirm stimulus preferences. Subsequent researchers have evaluated the validity of MSWO outcomes when the assessment is abbreviated. Generally, valid outcomes have been noted for 3-session MSWOs (that is, the outcomes match those of the 5-session version), while validity outcomes for 1- or 2-session MSWOs have varied across studies. The current study utilized data from 157 MSWO preference assessments conducted in previously published research with 49 total participants and analyzed the extent to which 1-session or 2-session variations of those assessments would have yielded similar outcomes as a 3-session assessment. Results indicate that the hierarchies produced by both abbreviated formats were strongly correlated with those produced by a 3-session assessment. However, neither 1- nor 2-session MSWOs reliably identified the same highest-preferred stimuli as a 3-session MSWO.

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We assessed the effects of trainees observing and rating the accuracy of others implementing a paired-stimulus preference assessment from video on the trainees' subsequent implementation accuracy. These observational experiences increased implementation accuracy with both a confederate and an actual consumer. These results suggest conducting observations and accuracy ratings may prepare staff to implement behavioral procedures without need of a dedicated trainer.

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Effective, efficient, and accessible staff-training procedures are needed to meet the service-delivery demand for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of delivering real-time feedback via telehealth to train staff to conduct a preference assessment. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline across-participants design showed that remote real-time feedback was associated with short training time and minimal sessions to achieve mastery. Generalization and maintenance probes indicated these skills were transferable to other preference assessment stimuli and learners.

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Resumo O comportamento social pode ser definido como comportamento de duas ou mais pessoas, uma em relação à outra, ou em conjunto em relação a um ambiente comum. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar se fotos que representam jogos poderiam funcionar como reforçadores sociais para crianças típicas. Os participantes foram três crianças com desenvolvimento típico, sendo os estí mulos experimentais duas figuras geométricas, e fotos de jogos (aplicativos) para Tablet. Foram realizadas avaliações de preferência diárias, em seguida à avaliação de preferência, após selecionar uma das figuras geométricas, era dada aos participantes a oportunidade de engajar-se no jogo com um dos experimentadores, representado na foto de sua maior preferência. A variável dependente foi a porcentagem de vezes que o participante escolheu um determinado formato geométrico por sessão. Os resultados sugerem que os procedimentos utilizados na presente pesquisa foram acurados para identificar jogos como reforçadores e seu valor reforçador foi testado posteriormente nas tarefas de discriminação simples e reversão. Esse procedimento pode ser conduzido de maneira rápida e com relativo baixo custo de resposta. A presente pesquisa demonstrou a importância em se oferecer oportunidades de escolha e oportunidades de contato com brincadeiras a crianças típicas, demonstrando que jogos podem ser usados como reforçadores em procedimentos de ensino.

Resumen El comportamiento social se puede definir como el comportamiento de dos o más personas con respecto a la otra, o conjuntamente, contra un entorno común. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar si fotos que representan juegos podrían funcionar como refuerzos sociales para niños típicos. Los participantes fueron tres niños con un desarrollo típico, y los estímulos experimentales dos figuras geométricas, fotografías y juegos (aplicaciones) para la tableta. Evaluaciones diarias de preferencia se llevaron a cabo, siguiendo la evaluación de preferencia, después de seleccionar una de las figuras geométricas, se le dio a los participantes la oportunidad de participar en el juego con el experimentador 2, representada en la imagen de su mayor preferencia. La variable dependiente fue el porcentaje de veces que el participante eligió una forma geométrica determinada por sesión. Los resultados sugieren que los procedimientos utilizados en esta investigación fueron precisos para identificar los juegos como reforzadores y su valor de refuerzo se probó posteriormente en tareas de discriminación y de reversión de discriminación. Este procedimiento puede llevarse a cabo rápidamente y con costo de respuesta relativamente bajo. Esta investigación demostró la importancia de ofrecer oportunidades de elegir y oportunidades para jugar con los niños típicos, mostrando que los juegos pueden ser utilizados como refuerzos para los procedimientos de enseñanza.

Abstract Social behavior may be defined as the behavior of two or more people with respect to one another or in concert with respect to a common environment. The aim of this study was to identify if pictures that represent games could function as social reinforcers for children. Participants were three children with typical development, and the experimental stimuli were two geometrical figures and pictures that represented games (apps) for a Tablet. Daily preference assessments were made, following the preference assessment. After selecting a geometrical figure, the participants were given the opportunity to engage in the game with one of the experimenters, represented in their favorite picture. The dependent variable was the percentage of times the participant chose a particular geometrical figure per session. The results suggest that the procedures used in this research were accurate to identify games as reinforcers and its reinforcing value was subsequently tested in simple discrimination and reversal tasks. This procedure can be conducted quickly and with a relatively low cost of response. This research demonstrated the importance of offering choice opportunities and contact with games for typical children, showing that games can be used as reinforcers for teaching procedures.

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Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who engage in problem behavior maintained by access to tangibles may exhibit more problem behavior during certain preference assessments. We compared three common preference assessments to determine which resulted in fewer problem behaviors. The paired stimulus and multiple-stimulus without replacement assessments produced higher rates of problem behavior than the free operant (FO) assessment, suggesting that the FO assessment may be the most appropriate assessment for individuals who engage in problem behavior maintained by access to tangibles.

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Recent advancements in telecommunication technologies make it possible to conduct a variety of healthcare services remotely (e.g., behavioral-analytic intervention services), thereby bridging the gap between qualified providers and consumers in isolated locations. In this study, web-based telehealth technologies were used to remotely train direct-care staff to conduct a multiple-stimulus-without-replacement preference assessment. The training package included three components: (a) a multimedia presentation; (b) descriptive feedback from previously recorded baseline sessions; and (c) scripted role-play with immediate feedback. A nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline-across-participants design was used to demonstrate experimental control. Training resulted in robust and immediate improvements, and these effects maintained during 1- to 2-month follow-up observations. In addition, participants expressed high satisfaction with the web-based materials and the overall remote-training experience.

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The purpose of these studies was to extend the use of stimulus preference assessments to children in foster care. In Study 1, subjects completed a computerized 4-point Likert-type questionnaire designed to assess preference for a wide range of stimuli and activities. Next, items identified as highly preferred (HP) and less preferred (LP) on the questionnaire were tested using a computerized paired-stimulus preference assessment. Results showed complete correspondence between the results of the computerized preference assessments for 11 of 17 subjects. Studies 2 and 3 evaluated whether the stimuli identified as HP in Study 1 would function as reinforcers. Overall, subjects allocated their engagement to HP items, and those HP items could be used as reinforcers for math problem completion. Collectively, these studies demonstrated that computerized preference assessments may be a feasible method of identifying preferences in the foster care system. Implications for their use in foster care are discussed.

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This two-part study conducted preference assessments for staff members in three adults with intellectual disabilities and then paired attention from non-preferred staff with preferred stimuli. All three participants reliably identified preferred and non-preferred staff in both verbal and pictorial preference assessments, they emitted a higher rate responses during progressive ratio schedules for attention from preferred than from non-preferred staff and emitted more approach responses to preferred than non-preferred staff. When attention from non-preferred staff was paired with preferred stimuli, break points and the rate of approaches to non-preferred staff systematically increased as a function of stimulus pairings. The paper discusses the implications of preparing staff to work with people with intellectual disabilities.

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We trained 9 behavioral staff members to conduct 2 brief preference assessments using 30-min video presentations that contained instructions and modeling. After training, we evaluated each staff member's implementation of the assessments in situ. Results indicated that 1 or 2 training sessions for each method were sufficient for teaching each staff member to implement each assessment. We briefly discuss the clinical implications of our findings.

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Preference assessments directly evaluate items that may serve as reinforcers, and their implementation is an important skill for individuals who work with children. This study examined the effectiveness of pyramidal training on teachers' implementation of preference assessments. During experiment 1, 3 special education teachers taught 6 trainees to conduct paired-choice, multiple-stimulus without replacement, and free-operant preference assessments. All trainees acquired skills necessary to implement preference assessments with 90% or greater accuracy during the training sessions and demonstrated generalization of skills to their classrooms or clinic. During experiment 2, 5 teachers who served as trainees in experiment 1 trained 18 preschool teachers. All preschool teachers met the mastery criterion following training. Training teachers to implement preference assessments may increase teachers' acceptance and use of behavior-analytic procedures in school settings.

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Research suggests that inexperienced individuals cannot accurately implement stimulus preference assessments given written instructions alone. Training that includes written instructions supplemented with feedback from a professional with expertise in conducting preference assessments has proven effective; unfortunately, expert-facilitated direct training may not be widely available. In the current study, we used multiple baseline designs to evaluate the efficacy of an antecedent-only self-instructional package to train staff members to implement two methods of stimulus preference assessments. Accuracy was low when participants had access to written instructions alone. When access to enhanced written instructions was provided (i.e., technical jargon was minimized; instructions included pictures, diagrams, and step-by-step examples), inexperienced staff accurately implemented the assessments. Results are discussed in terms of opportunities to disseminate behavior-analytic technologies through self-instruction and print resources.

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Although professionals working with individuals with developmental disabilities have much to gain from using systematic methods of reinforcer identification, practitioner knowledge and use of stimulus preference assessments (SPA) has rarely been examined. The purpose of this survey was to assess awareness and implementation of SPAs among professionals who serve people with developmental disabilities within and outside the field of applied behavior analysis. A total of 406 individuals responded to the survey; 246 respondents were recruited via direct email, and 160 respondents were recruited from Internet postings. Fewer than 60% of respondents across all disciplines (i.e., applied behavior analysis, psychology, and special education) reported knowledge of the term stimulus preference assessment. While nearly 90% of behavior analysts reported using at least one direct method of SPA (i.e., an assessment involving direct observation and measurement of behavior), many reported personal lack of knowledge (18.6%) and lack of time (81.4%) as barriers to conducting these assessments on a regular basis. Survey results are discussed in terms of (1) the need for greater awareness and acceptance of reinforcer identification methods among behavior analysts, educators, and other service providers and (2) barrier-specific solutions to potentially increase the regularity of SPA usage in the education and treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities.

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This study examined how the amount of effort required to produce a reinforcer influenced subsequent preference for, and strength of, that reinforcer in 7 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Preference assessments identified four moderately preferred stimuli for each participant, and progressive-ratio (PR) analyses indexed reinforcer strength. Stimuli were then assigned to one of four conditions for 4 weeks: fixed-ratio (FR) 1 schedule, escalating FR schedule, yoked noncontingent (NCR) delivery, and restricted access. Preference assessments and PR schedules were then repeated to examine changes in selection percentages and PR break points. Selection percentages decreased for all NCR stimuli but increased for most of the restricted stimuli. There were no systematic changes in selection percentages for either of the contingent stimuli. Break points increased, on average, for all conditions, but the increase was highest for the restricted stimuli and lowest for the NCR stimuli. These results are discussed in relation to recent basic research addressing the influence of effort on stimulus value.

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