Research on preference and reinforcer assessments has historically focused on the evaluation of edible and leisure reinforcers, but the identification and use of individualized social reinforcers may be beneficial for several reasons. Recently, many studies have evaluated methods of assessing preference for social stimuli. The procedures and outcomes across these studies have varied greatly, and the current state of evidence for methods of assessing preference for social stimuli remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a review to synthesize all previous research in this area, evaluate the evidence for the utility of this general methodology, and identify factors that may influence its utility. Our results suggest that social preference assessments are likely to produce results that correspond with reinforcer assessment hierarchies. Preference assessment modality was one factor that influenced utility; video-based preference assessments had greater correspondence with reinforcer assessments than did other modalities. Directions for future research and implications for the use of social preference assessments in research and practices are discussed.

The multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment (MSWO) has frequently been evaluated or used in research. Some researchers have evaluated how the number of MSWO sessions used to obtain a hierarchy of preference can impact the assessment's outcomes. To date, no researchers have conducted such evaluations with MSWOs for social stimuli or with a reinforcer assessment including all of the same stimuli as a point of comparison. In the current study, we used previously published data from MSWOs for social stimuli to compare one-, two-, and three-session MSWOs with four-session MSWOs and a progressive-ratio reinforcer assessment. Results indicated that MSWOs consisting of one, two, three, and four sessions produced hierarchies that were positively correlated with reinforcer assessment hierarchies and identified highly preferred stimuli that functioned as reinforcers. Including more sessions did not improve median correlation coefficients or the likelihood of identifying reinforcers. Results generated by comparing the one-, two-, and three-session MSWO hierarchies with the four-session hierarchy did not correspond with results generated by comparison with the reinforcer assessment hierarchy. Implications for clinical use of, and future research on, MSWOs are discussed.