Establishing operation
A motivating operation that increases the reinforcing value of a stimulus and makes behavior that has produced that stimulus more likely to occur.
An establishing operation (EO) makes something more valuable right now and evokes behavior that has gotten it before. Deprivation is the classic EO: going without water makes water more reinforcing and makes asking for or reaching for water more likely. Other EOs include being cold (warmth becomes more valuable), being alone for a long time (attention becomes more valuable) and facing a hard or long task (escape becomes more valuable).
EOs are central to teaching manding. A mand is controlled by an MO, so naturalistic teaching often captures or creates EOs: putting a favorite toy in sight but out of reach, giving a cup without juice, or pausing a fun activity. The learner's motivation then makes the request worth teaching in that moment.
EOs also explain problem behavior. A long demand session can be an EO for escape-maintained behavior, and a caregiver's phone call can be an EO for attention-maintained behavior. Antecedent interventions designed by the supervisor often work by changing EOs.
An RBT should notice and report EOs that come up in sessions, for example a client arriving hungry or tired, because they affect both learning and behavior.
Example and non-example
| Example | The client has not eaten since breakfast, so food is highly valuable right now (an EO produced by deprivation). At snack time the RBT places a favorite cracker in a clear container the client cannot open, and the client asks for help, which the RBT prompts and reinforces as the plan describes. |
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| Non-example | The client just had a large snack and pushes away offered crackers. Recent consumption has lowered the value of crackers, which is an abolishing operation. |
Don't confuse it with
| Abolishing operation | An EO increases reinforcer value and evokes behavior; an AO decreases reinforcer value and abates behavior. |
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| Discriminative stimulus | An SD signals that reinforcement is available; an EO makes the reinforcer more valuable. |
Test yourself
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Question 1A teen who has not eaten since breakfast picks food items first in an afternoon preference assessment, though they usually pick music. Which statement best explains this?
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C: Deprivation increased the current value of food. Deprivation is an establishing operation: going without food temporarily increases its value as a reinforcer, so food is chosen more often.
- A: Satiation decreases an item's value.
- B: Extinction is not involved; music was simply less valuable than food at that moment.
- D: Nothing in the scenario punished choosing music.
Task B.1 · 40-hour curriculum section D · 40-hour curriculum section A
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Question 2In the attention condition of a functional analysis, why does the adult withhold attention except after the target behavior?
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A: Low attention makes attention more valuable, testing whether it maintains behavior. Going without attention acts as an establishing operation that makes attention more valuable. If behavior then increases when it produces attention, attention likely maintains it.
- B: Withholding attention is a motivating condition, not a punishment procedure.
- C: A break from demands is the consequence tested in the escape condition.
- D: A functional analysis assesses behavior; it does not teach play skills.
Task B.3 · 40-hour curriculum section D
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Question 3A client has not had access to their favorite music since the morning. In the afternoon session, the client completes far more tasks than usual to earn the music. Which explanation fits best?
Show answer
D: Deprivation acting as an establishing operation. A period without a reinforcer (deprivation) is an establishing operation: it temporarily increases the value of that reinforcer and increases behavior that has produced it in the past.
- A: Satiation lowers a reinforcer's value and would reduce responding, not increase it.
- B: The music was already a reinforcer; nothing new was paired with it.
- C: Nothing in the situation describes a change in the reinforcement schedule.
Task C.1 · 40-hour curriculum section A
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task C.1 Positive and negative reinforcement in content area C, Behavior Acquisition, which is 19 of the 75 scored questions.