What Is a Motivating Operation?
A motivating operation (MO) is an environmental event or condition that does two things at once. First, it alters the value of a consequence as a reinforcer or punisher (the value-altering effect). Second, it alters the current frequency of behavior that has produced that consequence in the past (the behavior-altering effect). MOs answer the question, "Why does this person want this right now?"
Establishing and Abolishing Operations
- An establishing operation (EO) increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer and increases behavior that has produced that reinforcer.
- An abolishing operation (AO) decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer and decreases behavior that has produced that reinforcer.
Food deprivation is an EO for food: food becomes a more powerful reinforcer and food-seeking behavior increases. Eating a large meal is an AO for food: food is less valuable and food-seeking behavior drops. The terms apply to reinforcers and, in a parallel way, to punishers, though most exam items focus on reinforcers.
Deprivation and satiation
Deprivation is an EO and satiation is an AO. In practice, if you want a reinforcer to be effective, ensure the learner has not had unlimited access to it before the session. A child who has had free access to the tablet all morning will not work hard for tablet time.
Unconditioned Motivating Operations (UMOs)
UMOs alter value without a learning history. Common examples are deprivation of food, water, sleep, oxygen, activity, and sensory stimulation, along with temperature extremes and painful stimulation. If a child has not eaten in six hours, the value of food is increased by an unconditioned EO.
Conditioned Motivating Operations (CMOs)
CMOs alter value because of a learning history. There are three types.
Surrogate CMO (CMO-S)
A stimulus that has been paired with a UMO acquires the same value-altering effects. For example, if a particular kitchen smell has been paired with food deprivation periods, the smell itself can function as an EO for food.
Reflexive CMO (CMO-R)
A stimulus that signals worsening conditions establishes its own removal as reinforcing. A warning sign that precedes a painful event makes escape from that stimulus valuable. A classic example is the ringing of a fire alarm that makes escape from the building more reinforcing. In ABA, a task demand that has been paired with difficulty or failure may act as a CMO-R and evoke escape behavior.
Transitive CMO (CMO-T)
An environmental variable makes something else valuable as a means to an end. If you need to open a locked door, a key becomes more valuable as a reinforcer. If a learner is given a cup with no juice, the lack of juice makes the juice itself more valuable. Contrived CMO-T arrangements, such as a blocked item or missing materials, are used in mand training.
MO vs SD
This distinction is a common source of exam errors.
- An SD signals the availability of reinforcement. It has a history of correlation with reinforcement.
- An MO alters the value of the reinforcer and thus the momentary effectiveness of that reinforcer. It does not require a history of differential reinforcement.
When you are hungry, the MO is food deprivation. When you see the restaurant is open, that is an SD. You need both for you to walk in and order: the MO makes food valuable, and the SD tells you reinforcement is available.
Clinical Applications
Manding and language training
Teaching mands is most effective when an MO is in effect. Use contrived motivating operations such as placing preferred items out of reach, providing a snack without a utensil, or giving a partial portion. Each creates a CMO-T for the missing item and provides an opportunity to prompt a mand.
Preference assessment and reinforcement
Schedule teaching sessions before meals or when a certain item has been restricted, if ethical, so that reinforcers retain value. Rotate reinforcers to avoid satiation, and monitor for signs that an AO is in effect, such as the learner pushing items away.
Reducing problem behavior
If escape-maintained behavior occurs after long periods of difficult work, the task difficulty may act as an EO for escape. Interventions include altering the antecedent condition: giving breaks noncontingently, reducing demand density, or teaching a request for breaks. For attention-maintained behavior, giving attention noncontingently on a time schedule creates an AO for attention and reduces attention-seeking behavior.
Noncontingent reinforcement
NCR works by acting as an abolishing operation. By delivering the reinforcer independent of behavior, you lower its momentary value and reduce the problem behavior that produced it.
Other Effects of MOs
MOs also have evocative and abative effects. An EO evokes behavior; an AO abates it. They are different from the effects of reinforcement and punishment, which are function-altering and change future behavior. An MO changes behavior right now.
Common Exam Questions
- "A child has not had access to water for several hours and asks for a drink. Which event is the EO?" Water deprivation.
- "A teacher gives a student a pencil with a broken tip and the student asks for a sharpener." This is a CMO-T, because the broken pencil makes the sharpener valuable.
- "Receiving a large snack right before a session decreases responding for food reinforcers." This is an abolishing operation (satiation).
Study Tips
- Ask "Is the event changing how much the person wants something, or is it signaling that something is available?"
- Remember that EOs increase value and behavior; AOs decrease them.
- Use the phrase "value and frequency" to recall both effects of an MO.
Key Takeaways
MOs change the value of reinforcers and the frequency of related behavior. EOs increase them and AOs decrease them. UMOs are unlearned, while CMOs (surrogate, reflexive, transitive) are learned. Distinguish MOs from SDs, and use MOs deliberately in teaching and treatment.