An Establishing Operation (EO) is a type of motivating operation (MO)An Establishing Operation (EO) changes the value of a reinfo... that temporarily alters the effectiveness of a reinforcerA reinforcer is any consequence or stimulus&n... or punisher and increases the likelihood of a behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulusStimulus is defined as any change in the environment or... in the past. Essentially, an EO makes a particular reinforcer more valuable or desirable, and thus increases the chances that the individual will engage in behaviors that have been reinforced by that stimulus.
Example
Imagine a child has not had a snack for several hours and is now hungry. The hunger acts as an establishing operation, making food (the reinforcer) more valuable. As a result, the child is more likely to engage in behaviors that have previously led to getting food, such as asking for a snack or going to the kitchen.
Abolishing Operation (AO)This refers to a procedure that decreases the value or effec..., Motivating Operation (MO)