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A motivating operation (MO) alters both the effectiveness of a stimulus as a reinforcer and the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced by that particular stimulus. This article reviews studies that have manipulated a MO during interventions with school-age participants with intellectual disabilities and problem behavior. A systematic review was conducted using the following major electronic databases: PsychInfo, Education Resources Information Center, Science Direct, Blackwell, SAGE, and Medline. A total of 31 published articles representing 55 participants was examined. Findings from this study suggest that the modification of a MO usually has an effect on the problem behavior by either establishing or abolishing its motivation. Furthermore, a relationship was found between the type of MO and the behavioral function identified. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings, limitations of this study and potential issues for future research are discussed.

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Prevalence studies assessing the problem behavior of children and adolescents with and without disabilities often have methodological limitations (e.g., they use one source of information; participants' responses are subjective), resulting in varying prevalence estimations. The main aim of this study was to pilot a two-step procedure intended to estimate the prevalence of problem behaviors in educational settings in the most accurate manner. Two schools (a special and a regular school) participated in this study, involving a total of 897 students with and without disabilities. Educators, headmasters, and school psychologists were asked to participate in the two-step procedure by answering two questionnaires by interview dealing with their students' problem behaviors. In the first step, informants identified students exhibiting problem behaviors, and in the second one, the type, frequency, and intensity of the identified behaviors were explored. Results indicated that the two-step piloted procedure helped to overcome wrong estimations of problem behavior prevalence, which were found to be 1.58 and 60% in regular and special education schools, respectively. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, results stressed a high variability in prevalence rates depending on the informant asked. Implications for future lines of research are outlined.

En este estudio se exploran los efectos de las operaciones motivadoras sobre la ocurrencia de la conducta autolesiva que presenta una mujer de 42 años con discapacidad intelectual. El análisis funcional muestra que la conducta se mantiene por refuerzo social positivo (atención y tangible) y por refuerzo automático. Se ha utilizado un diseño múltiple en la intervención con el fin de explorar los efectos de las presesiones (acceso y no acceso a atención) en la frecuencia con la que se manifiesta dicha conducta. Los resultados obtenidos en la intervención muestran cómo la operación motivadora actúa como operación de abolición reduciendo la frecuencia con la que sucede la conducta analizada. El estudio concluye enfatizando en el uso de estrategias preventivas para evitar las conductas problemáticas, así como en la necesidad de realizar una evaluación funcional para comprender la naturaleza de las conductas problemáticas y diseñar planes de intervención que ayuden a minimizarlas.Palabras Clave: Conductas Problemáticas; Análisis Funcional; Operaciones Motivadoras; Discapacidad Intelectual; Caso Clínico; Experimento de Caso Único.This study explored the effects of motivating operations on the self-harming behaviour of a 42-year-old woman with intellectual disabilities. Functional analysis showed that her behaviour was maintained by positive social (attention and tangible) and automatic reinforcement. A multielement design was used to explore presession effects (access to attention and attention deprivation) on the frequency of the behaviour. The results showed that when access to attention was presented to the participant, the frequency of the behaviour decreased, suggesting the action of an abolishing operation. In conclusion, the use of preventive strategies to treat problem behaviours are emphasised, as well as the need for a functional assessment to understand the nature of these behaviours and to design intervention plans aimed at minimizing such behaviour. Efectos de las operaciones motivadoras en una conducta autolesiva mediante las presesiones