Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Practice Test

What term describes an event that temporarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcer?

1. Conditioned stimulus

2. Establishing operation

3. Discriminative stimulus

4. Contingent reinforcement

The correct answer is: Establishing operation

The term that describes an event that temporarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcer is known as an establishing operation. An establishing operation influences how reinforcing or punishing a stimulus is at a given moment, effectively making a previously neutral or less effective reinforcer more potent. For example, when an individual is deprived of a desirable substance, like food, the value of food as a reinforcer increases due to this state of deprivation. This change in value directly impacts behavior, as the individual may be more motivated to engage in actions that lead to obtaining that food. In contrast, other concepts listed, such as conditioned stimulus and discriminative stimulus, pertain to different aspects of operant conditioning and do not function to alter the effectiveness of reinforcers. Contingent reinforcement is related to the administration of a reinforcer based on specific behavior but does not address changes in the motivation level for that reinforcer. Therefore, establishing operation is the precise term that captures the dynamic change in the effectiveness of a reinforcer due to environmental or internal factors.