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1. A Comparison of Reinforcer Identification Methods KELLY A. BENHART, Jonathan P. Seaver, & Jason C. Bourret CONCLUSIONS PURPOSE INTEROBSERVER AGREEMENT To assess the consistency of agreement across 3 preference assessment methods: modified RAISD, Free Operant assessments, and MSWO assessments • Our data failed to support the utility of the RAISD (Reinforcement Assessment for Individuals with Severe Disabilities) • For all participants, Free Operant and MSWO (Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement) outcomes were positively correlated • For 2 of 3 participants, RAISD outcomes were poorly or negatively correlated with Free Operant and MSWO outcomes • For 1 of 3 participants, RAISD, Free Operant, and MSWO outcomes were all positively correlated • Collected for 33-50% of sessions • Agreement – average: 98%, range: 96-100% RESULTS • Amy: In the scatterplot, the green trendline for the Free Operant to MSWO assessment is most similar to the positively perfect correlation represented by the black, dashed line; the other assessment comparisons were negatively correlated • Sally: In the scatterplot, the green trendline for the Free Operant to MSWO assessment is most similar to the positively perfect correlation represented by the black, dashed line; the RAISD to Free Operant was less positively correlated, and the RAISD to MSWO was negatively correlated • Katie: In the scatterplot, the blue trendline for the RAISD to Free Operant assessment is most similar to the positively perfect correlation represented by the black, dashed line; the Free Operant to MSWO was very similar, while the RAISD to MSWO was the least positively correlated METHOD • Participants were 3 individuals, 14-20 years of age, diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and/or developmental disabilities • Materials included edible, drink, and leisure items which differed for each participant • Procedure • Modified RAISD filled out by a primary caretaker, modeled after Fisher et al. (1996) • Free Operant assessment as described by Roane et al. (1998) • MSWO as described by DeLeon & Iwata (1996) • Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient calculated and used to assess the degree to which there was a correlation between two variables • Identification of reinforcers is important in developing effective behavior treatment programs (Green et al., 1988) • Two general methods are used to identify reinforcers: • Indirect assessments (e.g., modified RAISD) based solely on caregiver opinion • Direct assessments (e.g., Free Operant, MSWO) avoid subjectivity and reporter error inherent in indirect assessments INTRODUCTION www.postersession.com