Preference testing: a comparison of two presentation methods.

The team tested two ways to find out what kids like. They worked with the children who had severe to profound delays. Each child tried both the paired method (two items at a time) and the group method (six items at once). The sessions alternated so every child used both formats.

They measured how often the same top choice came up across trials. This told them which method gave steadier results.

Paired testing won. When kids saw only two items at a time, their favorite stayed the same far more often. The group method made picks jump around. Even though paired took longer, it gave clearer answers.

MacNaul et al. (2021) looked at 20 studies and said the same thing: paired-stimulus keeps working best when you re-check likes every 8-30 days. This 1994 paper is one of the bricks in that wall.

Bigwood et al. (2026) took the paired idea and tweaked it for adults with dementia. They slowed the pace and added mood checks. The item choices stayed the same, but people felt happier. This shows the paired format can travel across ages and needs.

Cymbal et al. (2020) tested a different tool (the PDC-HS), yet the spirit is the same: pick the format that gives steady data.

If you need rock-solid reinforcer lists for kids with severe delays, use paired preference tests. The extra minutes pay off in steady data. You can still borrow tricks from Bigwood et al. (2026) like slowing down or checking smiles if the child seems stressed.