An environmental variable that TEMPORARILY alters the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus and the current frequency of all behavior reinforced by that stimulus is known as what?

• A. Interobserver Agreement
• B. Motivating Operation
• C. Limited Hold
• D. Magnitude

Answer: (B)

Motivating operations are environmental variables that temporarily alter the reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus and, as a result, change the current frequency of all behavior reinforced by that stimulus. They have two effects: a value-altering effect, which makes the stimulus more or less valuable as a reinforcer, and a behavior-altering effect, which changes how often behavior that has been reinforced by that consequence occurs. They can be establishing operations, which increase the reinforcing value, or abolishing operations, which decrease it. For example, hunger acts as an establishing operation by making food more reinforcing and increasing food-seeking behavior; after eating, food becomes less reinforcing and such behavior tends to decrease. This concept is distinct from measurement reliability (interobserver agreement), time constraints on reinforcement (limited hold), or the sheer size of reinforcement (magnitude).