Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Report Tests of Personality01:22

Self-Report Tests of Personality

1.1K
Self-report inventories are objective personality assessments that use multiple-choice items or numbered scales, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). They are often called Likert scales after Rensis Likert. These inventories are widely used due to their ease of administration and cost-effectiveness. One of the most prominent examples is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), initially developed in the 1940s to assess abnormal personality traits.
1.1K
Group Design02:01

Group Design

11.0K
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between...
11.0K
Decision Making: P-value Method01:09

Decision Making: P-value Method

7.1K
The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim  is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses:  a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can...
7.1K
Surveys02:16

Surveys

17.2K
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
17.2K
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

5.7K
The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
5.7K
Multiple Comparison Tests01:13

Multiple Comparison Tests

4.6K
Multiple comparison test, abbreviated as MCT, is a post hoc analysis generally performed after comparing multiple samples with one or more tests. An MCT will help identify a significantly different sample among multiple samples or a factor among multiple factors.
It would be easy to compare two samples using a significance alpha level of 0.05. In other words, there is only one sample pair to be compared. However, it would be difficult to identify a significantly different sample if the number...
4.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Generality of a Paired-Stimulus Preference Assessment for Identifying Reinforcing Forms of Social Interaction.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Competition and preference in the treatment of automatically reinforced challenging behavior.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2025
Same author

Single- vs. combined-category preference assessments for edible, leisure, and social-interaction stimuli.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2023
Same author

A comparison of brief and extended session duration functional analyses.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2021
Same author

Noncontingent reinforcement: Arbitrary versus maintaining reinforcers for escape-maintained problem behavior.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2021
Same author

Increasing item engagement and decreasing automatically reinforced problem behavior within a modified competing stimulus assessment.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2020
Same journal

Latency and persistence of renewal in an intensive outpatient clinic.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
Same journal

The effect of varied versus constant high-probability instructional sequences on cooperation.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
Same journal

Relations between heart rate and precursors: A replication and extension of prior research.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
Same journal

Integrating five linear trend techniques into performance-criteria-based effect size measurements: Impressions and recommendations.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
Same journal

Functional analysis and treatment of higher level restricted repetitive behavior displayed by individuals with autism.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
Same journal

Contingency drives children's vocal behavior.

Journal of applied behavior analysis·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 23, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
08:12

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

3.0K

A comparison of preference-assessment methods.

Amanda L Verriden1, Eileen M Roscoe1

  • 1Western New England University and the New England Center for Children.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|April 3, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Preference assessment methods like paired-stimulus and multiple-stimulus-without-replacement show higher stability. Fluctuations in preference do not necessarily impact reinforcer effectiveness in practice.

Keywords:
autismpreference assessmentpreference stabilityproblem behaviorreinforcement

More Related Videos

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults
09:17

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

Published on: July 16, 2016

18.3K
A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare
07:29

A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare

Published on: February 22, 2020

7.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 23, 2026

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments
08:12

A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

Published on: March 1, 2022

3.0K
Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults
09:17

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Measure Taste Preferences in Children and Adults

Published on: July 16, 2016

18.3K
A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare
07:29

A Standardized Protocol for Preference Testing to Assess Fish Welfare

Published on: February 22, 2020

7.5K

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral science
  • Psychology
  • Applied behavior analysis

Background:

  • Preference assessments are crucial for identifying effective reinforcers.
  • Understanding preference stability is key to reliable intervention planning.
  • Individuals with autism spectrum disorder and traumatic brain injury may exhibit varied preference patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate preference stability across four different assessment methods.
  • To examine the relationship between preference stability and problem behavior.
  • To determine if preference fluctuations impact reinforcer efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: Assessed preference stability using paired-stimulus, multiple-stimulus-without-replacement, free-operant, and response-restriction methods in 6 participants.
  • Measured problem behavior as a corollary measure during preference assessments.
  • Study 2: Compared the efficacy of initially identified vs. immediately identified high-preference stimuli in a reinforcer assessment.

Main Results:

  • Paired-stimulus and multiple-stimulus-without-replacement methods demonstrated higher preference stability.
  • Free-operant method showed consistently lower levels of problem behavior.
  • Initially identified and immediately identified high-preference stimuli were equally effective reinforcers.

Conclusions:

  • Paired-stimulus and multiple-stimulus-without-replacement methods are more reliable for assessing preference stability.
  • Preference fluctuations do not necessarily diminish the effectiveness of identified reinforcers in practice.
  • The free-operant method may be beneficial for reducing problem behavior during assessments.