Conducting formal preference assessments have become a gold standard in providing behavior intervention and reported to be conducted as frequently as multiple times a day. However, the time it takes to conduct formal preference assessments could be lengthy. In-the-moment reinforcer analysis is an alternative way to assess items to be used as reinforcers and it occurs simultaneously with intervention. Dr. Leaf describes a study that compares the rates of responding during a sorting task when using items selected from a commonly used formal preference assessment (i.e., paired stimulus) to using items without running a formal preference assessment, but through in-the-moment reinforcer analysis (IMRA).
