title: A comparison of reinforcer assessment methods: the utility of verbal and pictorial choice procedures.
abstract: We compared three methods of stimulus preference assessment for verbal children and specifically evaluated the utility of a verbal choice procedure for assessing relative reinforcer value. Using a token system, relative preference for five categories of reinforcers, representing 15 different stimuli, was assessed by three methods: a reinforcer survey, a verbal stimulus-choice questionnaire, and a pictorial stimulus-choice procedure. Results showed that the verbal and pictorial stimulus-choice assessments accurately identified high- and low-preference categories for 3 of 4 participants. Survey results alone often rated multiple categories as high preference, were less likely to identify low-preference categories, and were less likely to correspond with the results of a reinforcer assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Northup
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broussard
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Vollmer
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D014040:Token Economy; D014705:Verbal Behavior