Chapter+09+Motivating+Operations+ANSWERS

** Motivating Operations ** ** ANSWERS **
 * Chapter 9 **

This chapter is a little different than the previous chapters. In it we are going to discuss motivating operations (formerly know as establishing operations). However, there is some extra material that you should know before moving on to the questions in this chapter. So, first, read the material before this chapter which describes two different experiments illustrating the effects of motivating operations (MO’s). Then return here to answer these questions


 * REVIEW:** Please define **learning** and **performance** as they relate to motivating operations.


 * ANSWER:**
 * Learning** – How well or fast a response is performed only when the MO is in place **before** the first contact with the contingency surrounding that response


 * Performance** – How well or fast a response is performed when the MO is in place **after** the first contact with the contingency surrounding that response

1. Explain the experiment that illustrates MO's effects on **learning.**

a. How were the two groups of rats divided?


 * ANSWER:** One group was 24-hour water deprived, and the other was 6-hour water deprived on Monday.

b. Describe the procedure used in the experiment.


 * ANSWER:** On Monday, the two groups of rats were water deprived for 24 hours and 6 hours respectively, and the rats’ lever press behavior was reinforced only once. Then the session was terminated. On Tuesday, both groups of rats were 24-hour water deprived, and the rats’ lever press was again reinforced only once while the latency of their response was measured.

c. Why was only one lever press used?


 * ANSWER:** Only one lever press was used in order to eliminate any **confounding variables** such as **extra learning opportunities and/or extinction**.

d. What were the independent and dependent variables?


 * ANSWER:** The independent variable was the **amount of time** that the rats were **water deprived on MONDAY**. The dependent variable was the **latency** of their response on **Tuesday**.

e. What were the results of the experiment?


 * ANSWER:** On Tuesday, the rats that were water deprived for 24 hours on Monday demonstrated a shorter latency for their lever press that did those rats that were water-deprived for 6 hours on Monday.

f. What is the significance of the results of this experiment with respect to motivating operations?


 * ANSWER:** The results illustrate the motivating operation’s effect on **learning**. Because the rats’ lever press **had never been reinforced before** the independent variable (the level of deprivation) was implemented, we can be confident that increasing the period of deprivation (or to state it in behavior analytic terms, “increasing the motivating operation”) can increase the amount of learning obtained during a single exposure to the relevant contingency.

15. Explain the experiment that ilustrates the MO's effect on **performance.**

a. How were the two groups of rats divided?


 * ANSWER:** On Tuesday, one group was 24-hour water deprived, and the other was 6-hour water deprived.

b. Describe the procedure used in the experiment.


 * ANSWER:** On Monday, the two groups of rats were both water deprived for 24 hours, and the rats’ lever press behavior was reinforced only once. Then the session was terminated. On Tuesday, the groups of rats were water deprived for 24 hours and 6 hours respectively, and the rats’ lever press was again reinforced only once while the latency of their response was measured.

c. Why was only on lever press used?


 * ANSWER:** Only one lever press was used in order to eliminate any **confounding variables** such as **extra learning opportunities and/or extinction.**

d. What were the independent and dependent variables?


 * ANSWER:** The independent variable was the **amount of time** that the rats were **water deprived** on **TUESDAY**. The dependent variable was the **latency** of their response on **Tuesday**.

e. What were the results of the experiment?


 * ANSWER:** On Tuesday, the rats that were water deprived for 24 hours that same day demonstrated a shorter latency for their lever press than did those rats that were water-deprived for 6 hours.

f. What is the significance of the results of this experiment with respect to motivating operations?


 * ANSWER:** The results of this experiment illustrate the motivating operation’s effect on **performance**. Because the level of deprivation was modified **after** the rats had been exposed to the contingency surrounding the lever press, we can be confident that increasing the level of deprivation (or to state it in behavior analytic terms, “increasing that motivating operation”) at the **time of performance** will increase the quality of that performance.

Now, read the section of the added material that discusses the differences between the terminology used for MO’s in //PB// and the terminology used in Michael (1982). Then return to answer these questions.

16. PB's vs. Michael's (1982) terminology for MO's

a. What does Michael (1982) say is the MO's effects on **learning**?


 * ANSWER:** Michael (1982) states that **motivating operations serve to increase the** **reinforcing effectiveness** **of a stimulus, event, or condition**. (By doing so, the stimulus’s value as a reinforcer increases to where it can more effectively act as a reinforcer to increase the occurrence of behavior, thus learning increases).

b. What does Michael (1982) say is the MO's effects on **performance**?


 * ANSWER:** Michael (1982) states that **motivating operations serve to increase the frequency of the type of behavior consequated by a stimulus, event, or condition.** (So, for behavior that has been previously reinforced with a specific reinforcer, an MO acting on that reinforcer will affect the performance of the behavior that the specific reinforcer had previously reinforced).