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

Although social interaction can function as an effective reinforcer during skill acquisition for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), preferred forms may vary across individuals and tasks. This study evaluated the extent to which a paired-stimulus preference assessment (PSPA) predicted the reinforcing efficacy of different forms of social interaction across tasks of increasing complexity. Two individuals with ASD participated. A pictorial PSPA identified highly preferred (HP) and less preferred (LP) social interactions. Three reinforcer assessments evaluated the relative and absolute reinforcing effects of HP and LP social interactions for (a) a simple arbitrary response, (b) a complex arbitrary response chain, and (c) a complex socially relevant response chain. Across assessments, HP social interactions produced more efficient acquisition than LP social interactions and prompting only. LP social interactions functioned as reinforcers when HP alternatives were unavailable. These findings suggest PSPA outcomes may predict differences in relative reinforcer efficacy while highlighting the importance of evaluating both relative and absolute reinforcing efficacy.