Development and evaluation of a mobile device application and a video training component for conducting stimulus preference assessments

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to evaluate an iOS® application for conducting stimulus preference assessments. Study 1 examined the effectiveness of three video tutorials to teach university students and staff who work with individuals with intellectual and development disabilities to implement paired-stimulus, multiple-stimulus-without-replacement, and free-operant procedures. Fourteen participants met the mastery criterion to perform the preference assessment procedure from watching the videos and one participant needed additional instruction to learn the procedure. Following training, participants showed high procedural fidelity during generalization assessment with a client with autism or with a confederate, and all participants found that the videos were easy to understand and that the iOS® app was helpful. In Study 2, six staff participants were asked to use the app in their normal work settings for a 1-month period. Staff were then asked to complete a 23-item questionnaire to provide feedback on the app. The participants rated the app and the videos positively and provided positive qualitative comments. The strengths and limitations of each study are discussed.