J Appl Behav Anal. 2012 Spring;45(1):69-82. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2012.45-69.
Evaluation of a self-instruction package for conducting stimulus preference
assessments.
Graff RB(1), Karsten AM.
Author information:
(1)New England Center for Children, Southborough, Massachusetts 01772, USA.
rgraff@necc.org
Research suggests that inexperienced individuals cannot accurately implement
stimulus preference assessments given written instructions alone. Training that
includes written instructions supplemented with feedback from a professional with
expertise in conducting preference assessments has proven effective;
unfortunately, expert-facilitated direct training may not be widely available. In
the current study, we used multiple baseline designs to evaluate the efficacy of
an antecedent-only self-instructional package to train staff members to implement
two methods of stimulus preference assessments. Accuracy was low when
participants had access to written instructions alone. When access to enhanced
written instructions was provided (i.e., technical jargon was minimized;
instructions included pictures, diagrams, and step-by-step examples),
inexperienced staff accurately implemented the assessments. Results are discussed
in terms of opportunities to disseminate behavior-analytic technologies through
self-instruction and print resources.
PMCID: PMC3297354
PMID: 22403450 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]