Preference Assessments
In this preference assessment, you present two items or activities at a time and ask the child to choose one
Paired stimulus/Forced choice
What is the primary purpose of a preference assessment?
to identify potential reinforcers
What is the main purpose of a skills assessment?
to identify the learner's current abilities and skill deficits
You are working with a 5-year-old client named Molly. During your session, you present her with a toy car and a stuffed and say, "Pick one." Molly chooses the car. You remove the stuffed animal and present a new item, a puzzle, alongside the car. She picks the puzzle this time. You continue this process with different pairs of items. What type of preference assessment are you conducting?
Paired stimulus- extra points if you can tell me an AKA for paired stimulus!
You're working with a 4-year-old named Leo. Before teaching a new matching skill, the BCBA asks you to probe the skill first. You present a picture of a cat and ask Leo to find the matching picture among three options. He points to the correct one on his first try. You do not provide reinforcement. What was the purpose of the probing trial?
To see if Leo already knows the skill without assistance
In this preference assessment, items are presented, the child chooses an item, that item is taken out, and the rest of the array is rearranged and presented again. This occurs until all items have been chosen
Multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO)
True or false: Preference assessments can be conducted only once at the beginning of a behavior plan
False- preference changes over time, so assessments should be done regularly
This is when a skill is tested to see if the client can independently complete the skill
Probing
You're observing a child named Liam during free play. You do not interact with him, but you record the amount of time he spends playing with each available item. He spends 10 minutes with blocks, 5 minutes with crayons, and does not touch the puzzles. What type of preference assessment is this?
Free operant
Your BCBA has asked you to help with an assessment that evaluates a child's communication, play, and daily living skills. You're filling out a form while watching the client engage in various structured and unstructured activities. What type of assessment are you most likely assisting with?
Skills assessment
In this preference assessment, you give one item to the child and time how long they play with the item.
Single stimulus
True or false: Reinforcers and preferred items are the same thing
False- preferred items may not function as reinforcers unless they increase the future likelihood of a behavior
True or false: When probing skills, you ask the client to perform a task with no prompting or reinforcement to see if they can do it
True
During a preference assessment, you place five items in front of Mia: a book, a toy phone, a car, a plush animal, and a musical toy. You ask her to pick one. She chooses the car. You remove the car and ask her to pick again from the remaining items. You continue until all items are chosen. What kind of preference assessment is this?
Multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO)
You are asked to probe a client's ability to identify body parts. You say, "touch your nose," and the client immediately touches their elbow. You say nothing and move on to the next probe. Why don't you correct the client's error?
Because prompting isn't allowed during probing
In this preference assessment, items are presented, the child chooses an item, that item is put back in the array, and the array is presented again.
Multiple stimulus with replacement
Observing what items a child chooses to play with during free time is a form of free operant preference assessment.
True
When conducting a probe, how should the RBT respond to errors?
Do not prompt or reinforce
You are trying to find potential reinforcers for a student who is non-verbal. You present one item at a time and observe their reaction. You note whether they engage with it, avoid it, or show interest. Which preference assessment is this?
Single stimulus
A BCBA asks you to probe a series of imitation tasks. You model clapping your hands, and the client immediately imitates you without prompts. What should you do next?
In this preference assessment, you observe and time how long a client engages with an item
Free operant
Why it is important to conduct preference assessments regularly?
preferences can change; regular assessments help us to make sure we are using effective reinforcers
True or false: Skills assessments are only conducted once during the initial intake.
False- skills assessments may be repeated periodically to track progress and adjust goals
You are working with a client named Jonah. To identify his preferred items, you lay out five different toys in front of him: a slinky toy, a toy car, a puzzle piece, a light-up want, and a fidget spinner. You ask Jonah to pick one. He chooses the fidget spinner. You allow him to play with it briefly, then remove it from him and place the same five items back in front of him for another trial. He chooses the light-up want this time. You continue this process, replacing all items after each choice, even if they were already selected before. What type of preference assessment is this?
Multiple stimulus with replacement (MSW)
You're probing a new math task. You present a simple addition problem on a whiteboard. The client answers incorrectly. You mark it as incorrect and move on. Why don't you correct the answer or prompt?
Because probing is used only to check existing knowledge and skills