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Conditioned Motivating Operations: Examples and Practical Considerations
Carissa D Basile1, Tiffany Kodak2, Hannah M Effertz2
1Department of Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington USA.
Behavior Analysis in Practice
|June 22, 2026
Summary
Conditioned motivating operations (CMOs) are crucial in behavior analysis, requiring a learning history to influence behavior. This review offers practical guidance for clinicians on identifying and using CMOs in interventions.
Area of Science:
- Behavior Analysis
- Psychology
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Motivating operations (MOs) alter consequence value, influencing behavior likelihood.
- Unconditioned MOs do not require a learning history; Conditioned MOs (CMOs) do.
- CMOs (reflexive, transitive, surrogate) are prevalent in clinical settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review applied and basic research on CMOs since 2009.
- To translate research findings into practical guidance for clinicians.
- To integrate CMO research into clinical examples and practice guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of applied and basic research on CMOs.
- Synthesis of findings for clinical application.
- Development of practical guidance and clinical examples.
Main Results:
- Key findings from CMO research are translated into actionable clinical strategies.
- Research on CMOs is integrated into behavior-analytic interventions.
- Improved identification and application of CMOs in clinical practice.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification of motivating variables influencing behavior is enhanced.
- Selection of function-based treatments is improved.
- Precision in arranging antecedent conditions to strengthen alternative behaviors is increased.
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