ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses an antecedent variable—motivating operation (MO)—that temporarily alter the effectiveness of consequences as reinforcers or punishers and that thereby temporarily alter the occurrence of behavior influenced by such consequences. It distinguishes between motivating establishing operations (MEOs) and a motivating abolishing operation (MAO). A MO is an event or operation that temporarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcer or punisher—a value-altering effect and influences behavior that normally leads to that reinforcer or punisher—a behavior-altering effect. There are two main types of MOs: MEOs and MAOs, and both types can be unconditioned (U) or conditioned (C), yielding four subcategories, UMEOs, CMEOs, UMAOs, and CMAOs. An MAO is an event or operation that temporarily decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer or punisher and decreases the likelihood of behaviors that normally lead to that reinforcer or increases the likelihood of behaviors that normally lead to that punisher.
