Which term describes a motivating operation that temporarily devalues a reinforcer and weakens behavior?

• A. Automatic Reinforcement
• B. Abolishing operation
• C. Automaticity of Reinforcement
• D. Aversive Stimulus

Answer: (B)

Abolishing operation is a motivating operation that temporarily devalues a reinforcer and weakens the behavior that produces it. When this MO takes effect, the current value of the reinforcer drops, so the behavior that previously earned that reinforcer becomes less likely to occur until the value recovers. A familiar example is satiation: after a big meal, food is less reinforcing, and seeking food decreases for a while. Establishing operations are the opposite, increasing reinforcer value and the likelihood of the behavior. The other terms describe reinforcement that occurs automatically or reference aversive stimuli that influence avoidance, but they do not capture the idea of temporarily reducing the value of a reinforcer and the associated drop in the target behavior.