Pallavi is a grade VI student who binges on TV. As a result her studies and physical activities are getting impacted. She has started gaining weight and scores low grades. Her parents have asked her to go to play every evening after completing her homework. Pallavi's parents have tried to increase the constructive time by decreasing the TV viewing hours. This change in the reinforcing value is known as __________.

Establishing operations

The change in reinforcing value that Pallavi's parents are trying to achieve is called an establishing operation.

Establishing operations (EOs) are operations that increase the reinforcing value of a stimulus or event. In this case, Pallavi's parents are trying to increase the reinforcing value of playing outside by decreasing the reinforcing value of watching TV.

The other options are not as relevant:

• Antecedent operations: Antecedent operations are operations that occur before a behavior and can influence its probability of occurring. For example, if Pallavi's parents were to give her a snack before she went to play outside, this would be an antecedent operation.
• Consequent operations: Consequent operations are operations that occur after a behavior and can influence the probability of it occurring again. For example, if Pallavi's parents were to praise her for playing outside, this would be a consequent operation.
• Maintaining operations: Maintaining operations are operations that keep a behavior at its current level. For example, if Pallavi's parents were to allow her to watch TV after she had finished playing outside, this would be a maintaining operation.