The influence of motivating operations on generalization probes of specific mands by children with autism.
Hold the reinforcer back before you test generalization—motivation makes the mand pop out.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Goodwin et al. (2012) asked a simple question. Does a kid’s motivation change how well he uses new words in new places?
They worked with three children with autism. Each child had learned to ask for a favorite item. The team then tested the child in a fresh room. Sometimes the child had just played with the item. Other times the item was out of reach. These are called abolishing and establishing operations.
The study used a multielement design. This means they rapidly switched the conditions to see the effect.
What they found
Kids asked for the item far more when it was missing. The same word came out less often when the item was already available.
In plain talk, a quick freebie turns off the need to mand. Waiting keeps the word alive.
How this fits with other research
Ward et al. (2021) extends this idea. They showed you can teach a broad mand like “My way, please” first. Kids still learn specific mands later. L et al. tells you when to test those mands. Ward et al. tells you which mand to teach first.
Belisle et al. (2019) gives a conceptual replication. They used money games with adults. Hardship scenarios made people more selfish. Same MO principle, new population.
McCord et al. (2025) is topically related. They found food stealing is usually automatic, not social. Both papers remind you to check the real reinforcer before picking an intervention.
Why it matters
Before you run a generalization probe, pause the reinforcer for a few minutes. A short break makes the child want the item again. That want drives the mand. No want, no data. You will see quickly if the word truly travels to new rooms and new people.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
We investigated the influence of motivating operations on the generalization of newly taught mands across settings and communication partners for 3 children with autism. Two conditions were implemented prior to generalization probes. In the first condition, participants were given access to a preferred item until they rejected the item (i.e., abolishing operation). In the second condition, the item was not available to participants prior to generalization probes (i.e., establishing operation). The effects of these conditions on the generalization of newly taught mands were evaluated in a multielement design. Results indicated differentiated responding during generalization probes in which more manding with the target mand was observed following the presession no-access condition than in the presession access condition. These results support the consideration of motivating operations when assessing generalization of target mands to various untrained contexts.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2012 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2012.45-565