Stimulus Preference and Reinforcement Effects of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphordahina portentosa): A Case of Reverse Translational Research

Abstract

The present study examined a reverse translational approach to extending the stimulus preference assessment and reinforcer assessment to the nonhuman species of the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphordahina portentosa). Each cockroach was presented with a series of multiple stimulus preference assessment without replacement (MSWO) that contained 4 food types. Once each cockroach demonstrated a preference for a specific food item, they were exposed to a reinforcer assessment that examined rate of responding under the contingent FR1 delivery of either their highest or lowest preferred stimulus. Our findings reveal clear, individualized preference across cockroaches and subsequently differential rates of responding during the reinforcer assessment. These data suggest that not only are organisms as primitive as cockroaches able to demonstrate preferences among potential reinforcers but that they may also serve as a good animal model for continued explorations of the preference assessment technologies that abound in the applied and clinical settings. Implications for future research and the utility of animal models for the applied behavior analyst are presented.