Establishing Operations: Implications for the Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Problem Behavior

Abstract

This paper seeks to integrate Michael's (1982Michael's ( , 1993 discussion of the concept of the establishing operation (EO) with existing conceptual and empirical analyses of problem behavior in people with developmental disabilities. The paper begins with a summary of Michael (1993), which seeks to describe his concept of the EO and place it briefly in historical context. The role of EOs in evoking and establishing motivation for problem behavior is considered in some detail. A case is made for the greater consideration of EOs in the functional analysis of problem behavior, and specific suggestions for detecting the operation of conditioned establishing operations are offered. Turning to treatment, the paper considers the role played by EOs in existing procedures and discusses the development of treatment strategies that seek to modify EOs, extinguish EOs, and modify the responses evoked by EOs. Finally, consideration is given to the implications of EOs for the more systemic treatment and prevention of problem behavior.

A Preliminary Analysis of the Effects of Coaching Feedback on Teacher Implementation Fidelity of First Step to Success

“…Having extinguished a CEO-R such as that described above, the CEO-R relation would be expected to re-emerge if a neutral event is again associated with subsequent worsening (e.g., through the presentation of unchanged demands), (McGill, 1999). A number of possible interventions exist to attenuate the aversiveness of the original EO, such as poorly presented demands (Carbone, Morgenstern, ZecchinTirri, & Kolberg, 2007;McGill, 1999). These interventions include delivering reinforcement for task compliance (Lalli et al, 1999); embedding demands in the context of preferred activities (Carr et al, 1980); using errorless learning (Ebanks & Fisher, 2003); fading instructions (Pace, Iwata, Cowdery, Andree, & McIntyre, 1993); altering the duration, rate, and novelty of demands (Smith, Iwata, Goh, & Shore, 1995); varying the tasks (McComas, Hoch, Paone, & El-Roy, 2000); and providing a choice of tasks (Dyer, Dunlap, & Winterling, 1990).…”

“…(McGill, 1999). Within the operant model, it has been established that the value of a given consequence as a type of reinforcement or punishment is in constant flux, as is the probability of behavior occurring that has previously been associated with such consequences (Fuller, 1949;Skinner, 1953).…”

“…Several comprehensive reviews of the applied literature on the MO are now available (e.g., Langthorne, McGill, & O'Reilly, 2007;McGill, 1999;Smith & Iwata, 1997;Sundberg, 2004). Despite the importance of the MO to applied behavior analysis, it appears that elements of the conceptual system provided by Michael and colleagues, such as the conditioned motivating operation (CMO) (e.g., Laraway et al, 2003;Michael, 1982;Michael, 1993Michael, , 2000Michael, 2007), have been less influential than would be expected (see McGill, 1999).…”

“…Knowledge of how certain events acquire their value-and behavior-altering effects can have important implications for intervention in applied contexts (McGill, 1999;Sundberg, 1993). Historically, behavior analysts have tended to place greater emphasis on those events that acquire value-and behavior-altering effects from the organism's evolutionary history (such as the deprivation of food or drink), and neglected those events that acquire their value-and behavioraltering effects as a result of the organism's learning history.…”

Thirty Points About Motivation From Skinner’s Book Verbal Behavior

“…Michael's (1993) conceptualization of the CMO-R provides clarity as to how aversive motivators are different from S D s, and how they affect our behavior throughout each day. There are numerous implications and applications of the CMO-R to many socially significant human behaviors such as problem behavior, social behavior, language acquisition, and self-care skills (e.g., Carbone, Morgenstern, Zecchin-Tirri, & Kolberg, 2007;Langthorne & McGill, 2009;McGill, 1999;Smith, Iwata, Goh, & Shore, 1995;Sundberg, 1993). (See also p. 28, pp.…”