Motivation
Here’s another example. A child sees a popular toy from a favorite movie in the toy store. She may want it. This is the reinforcer-establishing effect. Once in the toy store, she may request the toy because such requests have been honored in the past. This is the evocative effect. If requests have led to obtaining desired things, the likelihood of requesting is high in these situations. This is true for both appropriate and inappropriate behaviors used to request desired items. Therefore, this concept also can be used to understand how challenging behaviors emerge. ABA instructors are very interested in EOs, and in maximizing motivation in general. Understanding EOs significantly increases the success of instruction. A student is new to the learning environment. The teacher puts out an array of enticing toys and foods. She samples some and plays with some, and waits for the learner to indicate an interest. As the learner reaches for an item, she immediately grants access to the item. She also offers praise, hugs and attention while the learner eats the snacks and plays with the toys. She is pairing herself with rewards and working to identify EOs. She wants to know what the learner wants. Eventually, she will ask the learner to engage in a brief task before granting access to the desired item.
Resources
Delmolino, L., & Harris, S. L. (2004). Incentives for change: Motivating people with autism spectrum disorders to learn and gain independence. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House. Michael, J. (2000). Implications and refinements of the establishing operation concept. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 401-410. Sundberg, M. L., & Partington, J. W. (1998). Teaching language to children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Pleasant Hill, CA: Behavior Analysts, Inc.
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ABA Principles & Methods
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