Assessing stimulus preference using response force in a conjugate preparation: A replication and extension

Abstract

AbstractThe current study examined 98 participants' preferences for five pictorial stimuli. The researchers used a verbal multiple‐stimulus‐without‐replacement (VMSWO) preference assessment with each participant to identify high‐preference and low‐preference pictorial stimuli. Next, participants viewed each pictorial stimulus in a randomized order on a computer while using a hand dynamometer that measured the amount of force they exerted to increase or maintain the visual clarity of each image. The results indicate that over 75% of participants' force response ranks corresponded with participants' VMSWO high‐preference stimuli, VMSWO low‐preference stimuli, or both. The results of the current study provide further evidence for the use of conjugate schedules in the assessment of stimulus preference with potential for use as a reinforcer assessment. Implications along with directions for future research and limitations of the findings are discussed.