Motivating Operations
Motivating operations (MO) are environmental variables that:
MO can also be categorized into one of two defining effects:
Examples of EO and AO:
- alter the effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer, and
- alter the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by that stimulus, object, or event
MO can also be categorized into one of two defining effects:
- Establishing Operation (EO) - increases the current effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as reinforcement
- Abolishing Operation (AO) - decrease the current effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as reinforcement
Examples of EO and AO:
- EO: Steven's favorite snack is Skittles. His teacher recognizes this and will sometimes motivate Steven by giving him a Skittle after following a direction. There is an assembly at the end of the day and Steven's teacher needs for him to sit down for the entire event and she plans on rewarding Steven with a Skittle if he does. In order to increase the effectiveness of Skittles, Steven's teacher does not give him the candy all day leading up to the assembly (deprivation state). As a result, Steven is more likely to sit for the entire assembly in order to receive a Skittle because he has been deprived of them all day, hence increasing their effectiveness.
- AO: Using the same example, if Steven's teacher were to be constantly rewarding him throughout the day with Skittles they may soon lose their affect as reinforcement (satiation state). Therefore, during the assembly Steven is not as likely to sit the entire time in order to receive the candy because he has had access to them all day. This satiation on Skittles has decreased their effectiveness.