Motivating Operations and Discriminative Stimuli: Distinguishable but Interactive Variables

Abstract

The motivating operations concept has been of considerable interest and practical value to behavior analysts, including practitioners. Nonetheless, the concept has generated substantial controversy and has significant limitations. To address some of these limitations, we suggest that it would be wise to redefine motivating operations, to deemphasize the importance that has historically been placed on subtypes of conditioned motivating operations, to emphasize how motivating operations and discriminative stimuli interact, and to further examine the kinds of environmental changes that alter the reinforcing value of particular kinds of stimuli. These suggestions are detailed elsewhere and summarized in this article. Keywords motivating operations . establishing operations . reinforcer effectiveness . stimulus controlThe motivating operations (MOs) concept has been of considerable interest and practical value to behavior analysts, including practitioners (e.g.,

A point contingency increased webcam usage in a university classroom

“…In the Lotfizadeh and Acosta (2022) study, the absence of the final 0.5 points after the pre-lecture quiz may have functioned as an EO that increased the evocative strength of relevant S D and the effectiveness of points as reinforcers. For an EO to evoke a response, an S D or a stimulus resembling an S D must be present (see Edwards et al, 2019;Poling et al, 2020). It is likely that if the quiz without all the points (i.e., a maximum of 9.5 out of 10 total points) served as an EO for points, then its effect was partially mediated through the contingency-specifying stimulus (i.e., rule) provided on the quiz.…”

“…One possibility is that they served as an establishing operation (EO) (Michael, 1982). Rules can serve as EOs, which are environmental variables that increase the reinforcing value of designated stimuli (e.g., points) and the likelihood of occurrence of responses appropriate to the circumstance that produces such stimuli (e.g., webcam use) (Lotfizadeh et al, 2014;Poling et al, 2020). It is possible that describing on the quiz that 0.5 of 10 possible points could be earned via webcam use increased the reinforcing value of the half-point that was available for webcam use and evoked webcam usage.…”

Increasing physical activity in adults using self-tailored deposit contacts.

“…Not everyone has the means or is willing to wager such amounts of money. Future research should explore how the magnitude of self-tailored deposit contracts and other motivating operations (see Poling et al, 2020) influence the efficacy and acceptability of deposit contract interventions.…”

Improving Juvenile Justice Settings by Decreasing Coercion: One Lab’s Perspectives from Behind the Fence

“…On the other hand, counting may have momentarily decreased the reinforcing properties of media, thereby acting as an abolishing operation (e.g., Laraway et al, 2003 ) for sexual arousal. There has been debate surrounding the conceptualization and definition of motivating operations (e.g., Catania & St Peter, 2019 ; Lechago, 2019 ; Miguel, 2019 ; Poling et al, 2019 ). The potential nuance of motivating operations conceptualization notwithstanding, a behavior-analytic account could contribute to important behavioral interventions for inappropriate sexual behavior.…”