Preference assessment
A preference assessment is a structured way of identifying which items or activities a person prefers, to find stimuli likely to work as reinforcers.
Reinforcers are defined by their effect, and what works for one person may not work for another or even for the same person tomorrow. Preference assessments give the team an organized, data-based way to identify likely reinforcers instead of guessing. They range from indirect methods, such as asking the client, caregivers or teachers, to direct methods in which items are presented and the client's choices or engagement are recorded.
The main direct formats are single stimulus, paired stimulus, multiple stimulus without replacement, multiple stimulus with replacement, and free operant. They differ in how many items are presented at a time, whether chosen items are returned, and whether the result is a ranking or a measure of engagement time. The supervisor chooses the format based on the client's skills, the number of items and the time available, and RBTs often conduct the assessment and summarize the data.
Preference can change quickly with satiation and deprivation, so brief assessments are often repeated, for example at the start of a session. A highly preferred item is not guaranteed to be a reinforcer; that can only be shown by a reinforcer assessment or by its effect on behavior. RBTs follow the assessment procedure exactly, including how items are presented, how long the client has access, and what counts as a selection.
Example and non-example
| Example | Before a session, an RBT places five snacks in front of a child, asks them to pick one, and repeats with the remaining items to get a ranking for the day. |
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| Non-example | An RBT gives a toy only after the client completes five puzzles to see whether completion increases. That is a reinforcer assessment, because it tests the item's effect on behavior. |
Don't confuse it with
| Reinforcer assessment | A preference assessment identifies what the person chooses or engages with; a reinforcer assessment tests whether the item actually increases behavior when delivered contingently. |
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| Functional behavior assessment | A preference assessment identifies potential reinforcers for teaching; an FBA identifies what maintains problem behavior. |
Test yourself
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Question 1What is the main purpose of a preference assessment?
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A: To identify items or activities likely to work as reinforcers. Preference assessments identify stimuli a client prefers. Preferred stimuli are good candidates to use as reinforcers in teaching and behavior-reduction programs.
- B: That describes measuring behavior across settings, not finding preferred items.
- C: Skill assessments identify mastered and missing skills.
- D: Identifying function is the job of a functional assessment, not a preference assessment.
Task B.1 · 40-hour curriculum section D
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Question 2A client chooses a toy car first in every preference assessment. What does this result show?
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B: The car is a likely reinforcer, but this has not been tested. Preference assessments show what a client chooses. Highly preferred items often function as reinforcers, but only a reinforcer assessment, or data from teaching, shows whether delivering the item increases behavior.
- A: Using one item for everything invites satiation and ignores other preferred items.
- C: Preference predicts reinforcement but does not guarantee it for every behavior.
- D: Preferences change over time, so assessments are repeated.
Task B.1 · 40-hour curriculum section D
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Question 3Which procedure tests whether a preferred item actually increases a behavior when it is delivered contingent on that behavior?
Show answer
B: Reinforcer assessment. A reinforcer assessment delivers the item contingent on a response and checks whether the response increases. Preference assessments identify likely reinforcers; reinforcer assessments test them.
- A: Asking others about preferences does not test whether an item reinforces behavior.
- C: A free-operant assessment measures engagement time, not reinforcement effects.
- D: A paired-stimulus assessment measures choice, not the effect of contingent delivery.
Task B.1 · 40-hour curriculum section D
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task B.1 Preference assessments in content area B, Behavior Assessment, which is 8 of the 75 scored questions.