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| Stimulus Preference and Reinforcer Assessments for Video Content |
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 |
| 9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
| Marriott Marquis, M4 Level, Independence E-H |
| Area: AUT/DDA; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Kyle Visitacion (Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University) |
| CE Instructor: Hugo Curiel, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Technological devices have played an important role in the identification of preferred stimuli and their reinforcing effects. This symposium presents three experimental evaluations that used preference and reinforcer assessment methodologies to assess video content. The speaker for the first study will present a systematic replication of a web-based stimulus preference assessment that was used to identify video preferences for children diagnosed with autism. The identified preferences were also assessed for their reinforcing effects with socially valid behaviors that are common in early intervention and educational settings. The speaker for the second talk will present a study in which two direct preference assessments were compared for the identification of video content with school-age children. The free-operant and the MSWO were first used to identify video preferences. Reinforcer assessments ensued to determine which assessment identified the videos that functioned as reinforcers. The speaker for the third talk will present data for a study that evaluated a novel web-based paired stimulus preference assessment program with college-age participants. Following the identification of video preferences, the researchers used a web-based reinforcer assessment program with capabilities of arranging synchronous schedules of reinforcement to determine whether the highly preferred videos functioned as reinforcers. These studies, collectively, will showcase how technological devices have been used to assess preferences and reinforcing effects of videos. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: The audience will benefit from the presentation if they have an understanding of stimulus preference assessments, specifically if they know the steps involved in the free-operant, paried stimulus, and multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment. |
Learning Objectives: 1. identify benefits of using technology to identify video preferences and reinforcers.
2. describe how different stimulus preference assessment procedures can be arranged to identify preferences for video content.
3. describe how to arrange reinforcer assessments to test the predictive validity of preference assessments. |
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The Use of a Preference Assessment Tool With Young Children Diagnosed With Autism |
| EMILY CURIEL (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: Identifying reinforcers is crucial for many evidence-based behavior change programs. Videos may be a type of reinforcer worth considering given the accessibility of small electronic devices and the rates at which children watch and enjoy screen time. The multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment has been used numerous times to successfully identify preferred stimuli that subsequently function as reinforcers for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As such, we used the Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessment Tool (MSWO PAT) to identify high- and low-preferred videos for three children diagnosed with ASD. We then evaluated the predictive validity of the MSWO PAT by arranging a concurrent-operants reinforcer assessment for puzzle and sorting tasks. The results show that the high-preferred video maintained higher levels of responding for puzzle and sorting tasks for two of the three children. One participant engaged in higher levels of responding to access their low preferred video. Implications for using videos as reinforcers for children with ASD, limitations, and areas for future research are also discussed. |
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| A Comparison of Two Stimulus Preference Assessment Procedures for the Identification of Videos Preferences |
| Hugo Curiel (Western Michigan University), JOSEPH WILLIAM RYAN (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the free-operant and the multiple-stimulus-without-replacement (MSWO) assessment to determine which procedure had greater predictive validity for identifying reinforcers with school-age children. The preference assessments were conducted sequentially and then were followed by a reinforcer assessment. For the reinforcer assessments, we tested one of two video pairs and a control. If both preference assessments identified the same highly preferred video, we tested the relative reinforcing effects of the high- and low-preferred videos on the completion of academic tasks. If the assessments identified different highly preferred videos, we tested the relative reinforcing effects of both highly preferred videos. The results show that on occasions in which both preference assessments identified the same highly preferred video, it functioned as a reinforcer. However, on occasions in which the assessments were discrepant, the free-operant had greater predictive validity. Implications for using videos as reinforcers for children with disabilities, limitations, and areas for future research are also discussed. |
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| Evaluation of a Web-Based Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment |
| HUGO CURIEL (Western Michigan University), Joseph William Ryan (Western Michigan University), Hannah Gripp (Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University), Hoping Raising (Department of Computer Science, Western Michigan University), Sathyanarayana Ramesh (Department of Computer Science, Western Michigan University), Alexander S. Cadigan (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Abstract: The advancement of digital technologies and their accessibility creates an opportunity for behavioral researchers to develop tools for research and practice. We developed and evaluated a novel web-based stimulus preference assessment program. The program was designed with the paired-stimulus (PS) assessment methodology and specifically built with the capabilities to assess preferences for video content. We assessed the program with 15 college-age participants. The program identified robust preference hierarchies for 14 of 15 participants. We then used a web-based reinforcer assessment program to determine the predictive validity of the PS program. The reinforcer assessment program displayed three video options (high preferred, low preferred, control) in a concurrent-chains arrangement, and video access was programmed using independent synchronous schedules of reinforcement. Thirteen of 15 participants allocated their responses to access their high-preferred videos during the assessment, providing support for the predictive value of the PS program. We discuss the progression of PS assessments and technology, limitations, and areas for future research. |
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