Motivating operation (MO) An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of a stimulus and alters the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus. 5th Edition Task ListB-10 Define and provide examples of stimulus control. 6th Edition TCOB.16 Identify examples of motivating operations. Related Content Value-altering effect An effect of motivating operations that causes an in-the-moment increase or decrease in the current reinforcing effectiveness of a specific stimulus.Unconditioned motivating operation States of satiation and deprivation in the presence of events, operations, and stimulus conditions that a person needs or values inherently without training.Transitive MO (CMO-T) A type of conditioned motivating operation that is established when an environmental variable establishes another event as a reinforcer or punisher, meaning that a deprived item can only be acquired…Surrogate MO (CMO-S) A type of conditioned motivating operation that is established when a previously neutral stimulus acquires its evocative and value-altering effect by having been paired with an unconditioned motivating operation.Setting events An internal or external antecedent event or condition (e.g., motivating operation) that has an influence on the occurrence of a specific behavior.Reflexive MO (CMO-R) A type of conditioned motivating operation that is established when a stimulus comes before and signals the onset of pain/something aversive, making it so that the removal of this warning…Function-altering effect A phenomenon where the consequence of a behavior in the presence of an MO changes the behavior evoked by the specific or similar MOs in the future.Four-term contingency A motivating operation is added to a three-term contingency and the added component of motivation has an abative or evocative effect on the behavior (e.g., MO-SD-Bx-C).Establishing operation A type of motivating operation that is the product of deprivation that, at that moment, increases the effectiveness of the deprived stimulus as a reinforcer and increases the frequency of…Evocative effect A type of behavior-altering effect that causes an in-the-moment increase in the current frequency of behavior that’s been reinforced by a specific stimulus.Conditioned motivating operation (CMO) An MO that, due to learning history, changes the value of other stimuli, objects, or events, and creates an in-the-moment change in the frequency of any behavior associated with those…Behavior-altering effect An effect of motivating operations that causes an in-the-moment increase or decrease in the current frequency of behavior that’s been reinforced by a specific stimulus.Abolishing operation A type of motivating operation that is the product of satiation that, at that moment, decreases the effectiveness of the stimulus as a reinforcer as well as the current frequency…Abative effect A type of behavior-altering effect that causes an in-the-moment decrease in the current frequency of behavior that’s been reinforced by a specific stimulus.Dana Do's: How to Determine Value vs. Behavior Altering Effect A motivating operation is not a thing that you hold in your hand. It is the state or condition of being deprived of something or satiated with something. PTB co-founder Dana Meller dives into the in-the-moment effects to help explain the difference.Dana Do's: How to Discriminate Between SDs & MOs PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down the distinction between motivating operations (MOs) and discriminative stimulus (SDs). Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control; and B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.Stimulus salience The process of making learning stimuli more prominent to establish stimulus control and skill acquisition.Stimulus control When a learned behavior occurs in the presence of the SD and doesn’t occur in the absence of the SD or in the presence of other stimuli (SΔ).Stimulus delta (SΔ) A stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has not produced reinforcement in the past or produces less reinforcement or lesser value reinforcement than when it occurs in…Overshadowing When the presence of a competing or distracting stimulus interferes with the acquisition of a skill/stimulus control of another stimulus.Masking When a stimulus has acquired stimulus control over a specific response, but a competing stimulus is present, blocking stimulus salience, and causing a decrease in the occurrence of the learned…Faulty Stimulus Control When a response occurs in the presence of an irrelevant stimulus as opposed to the relevant, trained stimulus.Discriminative stimulus (SD) A stimulus in the presence of which specific responses have been reinforced in the past and in the absence of which the same responses have not been reinforced in the…Discriminated operant A learned response under the stimulus control of an SD. Due to a history of reinforcement, that response occurs in the presence of that specific SD and not in its…Dana Do's: Compare and Contrast MOs and SDs MOs and SDs do share some similarities, but there are some key differences to note. PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks it all down to help you discriminate between MOs, SDs, and how they work together. Refer to 5th Edition Task List Sections B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control, and B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.Dana Do's: Discriminating Between Masking and Overshadowing PTB co-founder Dana Meller offers detailed examples to help students better discriminate between two often confusing concepts: masking vs. overshadowing.Let's Break Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Stimulus Control & Game-Changing Learning Factors PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down a BCBA® mock exam question that distills the factors that affect stimulus control in behavior analysis. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control.Coffee Quandary: Stimulus Control & Absence of Reinforcement in the Pursuit of Hydration PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses the concept of stimulus control, explaining the function of the Sᴰ. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control.Dana Do's: Using Stimulus Salience to Increase Studying Effectiveness PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses the ways in which you can increase your studying effectiveness through stimulus salience. We know that ABA works, and Dana reminds students to utilize basic ABA principles to help themselves prepare for the BCBA® exam. Refer to Task List section B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control.Test your ABA Terminology ➠ MO vs Sᵈ Test your understanding of antecedents and behavior change with PTB co-founder Dana Meller. Here she explains the distinction between Sᵈs and MOs, explores their evocative function, and discusses how they can alter our behavioral repertoire when combined. Through relatable examples, Dana illustrates the importance of understanding the interplay between Sᵈs and MOs in behavior change. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control and B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.PTB's Special ABA Sauce: Mastering the ABCs of Behavior Test your understanding of the ABCs of Behavior with PTB co-founder Dana Meller as she analyzes a tasty scenario to identify the MO, SD, prompt, behavior, and consequence using PTB's special ABC breakdown method. Discover how ordering extra sauce serves as a perfect example to unravel the intricate relationship between MOs, deprivation, SDs, and reinforcement. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-1: Define and provide examples of behavior, response, and response class, B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control, B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations and G-4: Use stimulus and response prompts and fading (e.g., errorless, most-to-least, least-to-most, prompt delay, stimulus fading).
