Further examination of video‐based preference assessments without contingent access

Brodhead and team showed five people short videos of toys and snacks. No one touched the real items. They just watched the clips and picked favorites.

Next the staff gave the same people the real items in a reinforcer test. They wanted to know if the video rankings matched what actually worked to increase behavior.

The top video choices predicted the best reinforcers for every participant. Four out of five people also showed the same rank order when they later handled the real items.

In other words, a two-minute video survey told the staff which items would later function as strong rewards.

Curiel et al. (2019) ran a similar no-access test with autistic adults using an online MSWO. Their top video picks also worked as reinforcers, giving a close conceptual replication.

Curiel et al. (2025) extended the idea to college students with a free web-based paired-stimulus tool. Again, the quick rankings predicted reinforcer strength, showing the method works across ages and formats.

Duker et al. (1996) laid the groundwork decades earlier by showing that high-preference items from a choice assessment reliably act as reinforcers. Brodhead et al. (2019) now confirm this holds true even when the choice is made by watching videos instead of handling objects.

You can cut assessment time in half. Show video clips on a tablet, note the top two items, and move straight to teaching. No need to set out real objects or run long access periods. This is ideal for telehealth, busy classrooms, or clients who tire quickly. Try it next session: record ten-second clips of potential reinforcers, run the ranking, then test the top pick in a simple reinforcement schedule to confirm it boosts responding.