Cronin, Ian Raymond

Foster, Therese Mary

Bizo, Lewis

2014

A comparison was made between paired-stimulus and multiple-stimulus without-replacement preference assessments with the common brushtail possum ('Trichosurus vulpecula'). Both assessments identified similar preferences in foods by individual possums. A progressive-ratio reinforcer assessment showed that all foods identified in the preference assessments functioned as reinforcers when presented in a single-schedule arrangement, including those foods identified as low-preference. In a concurrent-schedule arrangement, the food type that was generally shown as being of high-preference at higher schedule requirements during the single-schedule assessment, was shown to have higher measures of preference again. It was also found that when the concurrent alternative was on a fixed-ratio 50 schedule, the impact upon preference was less than when the concurrent alternative was on a fixed-ratio 20. We concluded that preference is relative to the other alternatives available, and stimuli identified as low-preference when assessed through paired stimulus or multiple stimulus without replacement methods may still be appropriate to use as reinforcers to maintain operant responding.

Association for Behavior Analysis International 40th Annual Convention Program (# 434 Paper Session)

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/17228

Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)

Comparing Food Preference Assessment Methods in Brushtail Possums

Conference Publication

Publication