Paired‐Stimulus Preference Assessment and Synchronous Schedules to Determine Reinforcer Effectiveness of Videos
A free online paired-stimulus tool quickly ranks video likes and predicts which clips will actually reinforce college-age clients.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team built a free web tool that shows two video clips side by side. College-age adults click the one they like better.
After the quick paired-stimulus (PS) ranking, each person worked on a computer task. The top video played only if they hit a set number of responses.
The study asked: do the clips that win the online PS contest actually work as reinforcers when work is required?
What they found
For 13 of 15 participants, the videos that won the web PS also functioned as reinforcers during the work task.
The tool reliably predicted which clips would keep young adults engaged, supporting the online PS format for this age group.
How this fits with other research
Curiel et al. (2019) used a web-based MSWO, not PS, with autistic adults and also found the top videos worked as reinforcers. The new study extends that success to neurotypical young adults and shows a paired-stimulus version is just as good.
Brodhead et al. (2019) ran video PS assessments without giving access to the clips. Curiel et al. (2025) now show you can do the same thing faster on any computer, still predict reinforcer strength, and immediately link it to a work task.
Duker et al. (1996) first proved high-preference items from choice tests usually work as reinforcers. Nearly thirty years later, the web-based video PS upholds that rule in a digital world.
Why it matters
You no longer need bags of toys or extra staff to run a preference assessment. Send the link, let the client click, and you have a ranked list of videos that are likely to function as reinforcers. This saves prep time and makes data collection possible in homes, dorms, or remote sessions. Try it on Monday: email the link, review the top pick, and plug that clip into your reinforcement schedule.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ABSTRACT We developed and evaluated a novel web‐based stimulus preference assessment program. The program was designed with the paired‐stimulus (PS) assessment methodology and specifically built with the capabilities to assess preferences for video content. As an initial demonstration, we assessed the program with 15 college‐age participants. The program identified robust preference hierarchies for 14 of 15 participants. We then used a web‐based reinforcer assessment program to determine the predictive validity of the PS program. The reinforcer assessment program displayed three video options (high preferred, low preferred, control) in a concurrent‐chains arrangement, and video access was programmed using synchronous schedules of reinforcement. Thirteen of 15 participants allocated their responses to access their high‐preferred videos during the assessment, providing support for the predictive value of the PS program. We discuss the PS program, its limitations, and areas for future research.
Behavioral Interventions, 2025 · doi:10.1002/bin.70026