Applied Behavior Analysis Technician (ABAT) Practice Test

Which type of motivating operation increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer?

1. Abolishing Operations

2. Establishing Operations

3. Conditioned Punisher

4. Deprivation

The correct answer is: Establishing Operations

The type of motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer is known as an Establishing Operation. This concept is fundamental in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) because it helps to understand how certain conditions can enhance the value of a reinforcer at a given time. Establishing Operations work by altering the current value of a reinforcer, typically through changes in environmental conditions or states of deprivation. For example, if an individual is hungry, the value of food as a reinforcer increases, motivating the individual to engage in behavior that will lead to food. This is key in behavior modification, as recognizing and manipulating these operations can effectively influence the behaviors being targeted for change. Other options, like Abolishing Operations, would decrease the effectiveness of a reinforcer rather than increase it, meaning they are relevant to understanding decreases in motivation rather than increases. Conditioned Punishers are more about the context of punishment rather than reinforcement, and Deprivation, while related to establishing operations, is a specific example of how deprivation serves to create an establishing operation rather than being the broad category itself.