We compared free-operant and restricted-operant multiple-stimulus preference assessments with three children diagnosed with mental retardation. The methods produced comparable results, although the free-operant assessment identi®ed fewer potential reinforcers than the restrictedoperant assessment. The highest-and lowest-ranked stimuli from both methods were subsequently evaluated in a concurrent-operants reinforcer assessment. All participants engaged in behavior that resulted in access to the highest-ranked stimuli the majority of the time, thus validating both preference assessment methods as eective in identifying reinforcers.
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