A Systematic Review of Research Evaluating the Use of Preference Assessment Methodology in the Workplace

Simonian and team hunted for every paper that used preference assessments with workers.

They found 13 studies from 1980 through 2018.

The settings ranged from factories to offices to supported-employment sites.

All 13 papers showed BCBAs already asking staff, “Which break, bonus, or praise do you want?”

No study pooled outcome data, so we can’t say yet if the method boosts productivity.

Still, the list proves the tool is out of the lab and on the shop floor.

Kahng et al. (1999) warned us to use real items, not photos, when testing adults with ID. Simonian’s review shows workplace studies do exactly that—tangible coffee, gift cards, and extra time off dominate the lists.

Bottini et al. (2025) urge us to treat burnout as behavior, but they never mention assessing staff preferences. Simonian’s paper fills the gap by giving BCBAs a ready-made tool to find what actually re-energizes employees.

Murphy et al. (2014) mapped wide variation in classroom group procedures; Simonian finds the same scatter in workplace preference methods—no single protocol yet exists.

You can copy child-based preference tools and use them at work tomorrow. Ask each employee to rank five break choices, then deliver the top pick for meeting safety goals. Start small—one team, one week—and track if output rises.