Comparing Multiple Stimulus Preference Assessments without Replacement to In-the-Moment Reinforcer Analysis on Rate of Responding

The provision of reinforcement to increase the rate of desired behaviors is a crucial element of behavior analytic intervention for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Formal preference assessments, like the multiple stimulus without replacement procedure (MSWO), are often used to determine potential reinforcers used during intervention. While these types of assessments have been widely investigated, there is no empirical evidence to support that these rigorous methods of reinforcement identification produce higher rates of responding compared to the in-the-moment reinforcer analysis. The present study compared the rate of responding on a sorting task when participants were provided with items selected based on a MSWO preference assessment versus items provided using in-the-moment reinforcer analysis.