Progress of and Prospects for Hypothetical Purchase Task Questionnaires in Consumer Behavior Analysis and Public Policy.
Print-and-go shopping quizzes give you a validated, low-cost way to rank reinforcers for any age or setting.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Amaral et al. (2017) wrote a story-style review. They tracked how "pretend shopping" quizzes grew in behavior science.
The paper lists who filled out the forms, how shops and clinics checked the answers, and why policy teams care.
What they found
The review says the quizzes are cheap, fast, and already backed by dozens of small studies.
Labs use them to spot what smokers, drinkers, and everyday shoppers will work for.
How this fits with other research
Simonet al. (2020) found the same quiz idea working in offices. Their paper shows adults picking job perks the same way shoppers pick snacks.
Amore et al. (2011) gives a ready-made map for kids with autism. Swap their toy-choice steps for the shopping quiz and you get a five-minute reinforcer hunt.
Joyce et al. (1988) first told us to speak up in policy rooms. Amaral et al. (2017) now hand us a tool that talks in dollars and cents, not just graphs.
Why it matters
You can print a one-page "pretend store" sheet today. Ask your learner to "buy" free-time, stickers, or break-room snacks. Rank the prices, and you have a fresh preference list without hauling toys or running long paired-choice trials.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Based on the conceptual, methodological, and analytical framework of operant behavioral economics, hypothetical purchase task (HPT) questionnaires provide a low cost, scalable, and quantitatively rich source of empirical insights on consumer motivation, preferences, and decision-making. Here, we briefly summarize the history of HPT development and validation in clinically oriented research in addiction through to recent work with more conventional consumer goods and services. We discuss several possible novel applications of HPT methods to consumer behavior analysis for business, marketing, and public policy formulation and evaluation, as well as emerging best practices, limitations, and additional directions for future research and development.
The Behavior analyst, 2017 · doi:10.1080/14459795.2016.1182570