An environmental event/condition that increases the value or effectiveness of a consequence.

An environmental event/condition that increases the value or effectiveness of a consequence.

• A. Abolishing Operation
• B. Motivating Operation
• C. Establishing Operation
• D. Stimulus Control

Answer: (C)

An establishing operation is an environmental event or condition that makes a reinforcer more valuable at the moment and increases the likelihood that a behavior previously followed by that reinforcer will occur now. It temporarily changes the current value of a consequence, raising motivation to obtain it. For example, hunger is an establishing operation for food: it makes food more reinforcing and increases seeking behavior. That’s why this item’s description points to establishing operation. An abolishing operation would do the opposite, reducing the value of the consequence; stimulus control concerns how stimuli signal reinforcement availability; and a motivating operation is the broader category that includes establishing and abolishing operations, but the specific term for increasing the value of a consequence is establishing operation.

An establishing operation is an environmental event or condition that makes a reinforcer more valuable at the moment and increases the likelihood that a behavior previously followed by that reinforcer will occur now. It temporarily changes the current value of a consequence, raising motivation to obtain it. For example, hunger is an establishing operation for food: it makes food more reinforcing and increases seeking behavior.

That’s why this item’s description points to establishing operation. An abolishing operation would do the opposite, reducing the value of the consequence; stimulus control concerns how stimuli signal reinforcement availability; and a motivating operation is the broader category that includes establishing and abolishing operations, but the specific term for increasing the value of a consequence is establishing operation.