Evaluating preference displacement of edible stimuli and social interactions for typically developing preschool children
Edible reinforcers can push out social ones for many typical preschoolers—test both classes before treatment.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lasinski et al. (2024) asked preschoolers to pick between snacks and play with adults.
They used an MSWO tray that held both gummy bears and chances to play hand-clap games.
All kids were typically developing and attended community preschools.
What they found
Half the kids dropped social play once food showed up.
The rest still wanted some adult time, but two kids kept choosing people over pretzels.
Food did not erase social value for every child.
How this fits with other research
Kamlowsky et al. (2025) saw the opposite pattern in autistic children. Social interaction made toys more powerful, not less.
The difference is the group, not the method. Neurotypical kids often satiate on food faster, while autistic kids may crave shared attention.
Wanchisen et al. (1989) already showed that quick MSWO checks cut problem behavior in preschoolers with autism. Lasinski extends that idea to typical kids and warns that edible-heavy trays can hide social reinforcers.
Why it matters
Before you load your token board with cookies, run a mixed MSWO that includes high-five or song choices. If the child keeps picking food, teach social games first or alternate bites with turns of peek-a-boo so both reinforcers stay strong.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractEdible and leisure items are often used in behavioral intervention to teach skills or reduce problem behavior. Social interactions, however, have also been shown to function as reinforcers for both typically developing children and children diagnosed with autism. Previous research has been conducted investigating preference displacement between edible, leisure and social items. The current study included edible stimuli and social interactions to evaluate whether patterns of displacement would appear with typically developing children. Multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessments were conducted to identify highly preferred stimuli from both edible item and social interaction classes to use in combined assessments to evaluate displacement. Three of six participants showed complete displacement of social interactions by edible items and three participants showed patterns of partial displacement. Two of the participants demonstrating patterns of partial displacement showed a disproportionate preference for social interactions.
Behavioral Interventions, 2024 · doi:10.1002/bin.2014