Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Quantifying Social Motivation in Mice Using Operant Conditioning
Published on: August 8, 2015
Motivating operations and terms to describe them: some further refinements
Sean Laraway1, Susan Snycerski, Jack Michael
1Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo 49008, USA.
Abstract:
Over the past decade, behavior analysts have increasingly used the term establishing operation (EO) to refer to environmental events that influence the behavioral effects of operant consequences. Nonetheless, some elements of current terminology regarding EOs may interfere with applied behavior analysts' efforts to predict, control, describe, and understand behavior. The present paper (a) describes how the current conceptualization of the EO is in need of revision, (b) suggests alternative terms, including the generic term motivating operation (MO), and (c) provides examples of MOs and their behavioral effects using articles from the applied behavior analysis literature.
Related Concept Videos
Motivational Cycle
The cycle begins with a need. This need can arise from various conditions, such as hunger, thirst, or temperature changes. For instance, when an individual feels cold, their body...
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
Introduction to Motivation and Emotion
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation
The theory differentiates between intrinsic and...
Secondary Motives: Power Motivation and Achievement Motivation
Power motivation is characterized by the desire to influence, control, or have an impact on others. It is shaped by an individual's experiences, social environment, and cultural context. People with high power motivation are...
Lagrange Multipliers: Two Constraints