Which intervention technique involves adjusting the value of a reinforcer?

The correct answer highlights the concept of Motivating Operations, which are crucial for understanding how behavior is influenced by the context in which it occurs. Motivating operations refer to environmental events or conditions that temporarily alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer or change the value of a particular reinforcer at that moment. For example, if an individual is deprived of a preferred snack, the value of that snack as a reinforcer increases, making it more motivating when it becomes available.

This adjustment of value is essential in behavior modification strategies since it directly impacts the likelihood of certain behaviors being reinforced. By understanding motivators in this way, practitioners can effectively design interventions that enhance the probability of desirable behaviors in individuals they work with, creating situations where the reinforcers are more effective.

Other intervention techniques are important too but do not focus specifically on adjusting the value of reinforcers in the way that motivating operations do. Priming is about preparing or cueing a person for a situation, providing choices empowers individuals but does not directly alter reinforcer value, and lessening demands can make tasks more feasible but does not inherently change the reinforcing properties of any subsequent behavior.