#2 ABA in Real Life: Let's Talk Motivation

We all know what it feels like to be motivated—or not. But when it comes to understanding motivation in children (or ourselves!), especially in moments of challenge, things can get confusing fast.

Let’s break it down through the lens of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to see how motivation works in real life—and how we can use it to support learning and understand behavior.

So, What Is Motivation in ABA?

In behavioral terms, motivation refers to the internal conditions that influence how much we want something, and how likely we are to act to get it.

It’s not just about being “lazy” or “focused.” Motivation is dynamic. It changes based on:

• How long it’s been since we had access to something

• The context we’re in

• Competing wants or needs

• Our history of consequences

  
  

ABA talks about these conditions using something called Motivating Operations.

Motivating Operations (MOs): The Why Behind the Behavior

A motivating operation is anything that:

1. Changes how much we value a reinforcer, and

2. Changes how likely we are to engage in behavior to get it

   
   

There are two key types:

1. Establishing Operations (EOs) – These increase the value of something

Example: A child hasn’t had a snack in hours → food becomes more reinforcing → they’re more likely to ask for or grab food.

2. Abolishing Operations (AOs) – These decrease the value of something

Example: A child just ate a big meal → food is less reinforcing → asking for more food decreases.

Real Life Example: You and Coffee ☕

• You’ve had no coffee yet today → you crave it → you walk to the kitchen to make one.(High motivation. The EO is strong.)

• You’ve already had 3 cups → you’re jittery → you skip the 4th cup. (Low motivation. AO in play.)

We’re not “lazy” for skipping the coffee—we’re just not motivated for it in that moment.

Same goes for children: what looks like resistance or defiance may just be low motivation for that particular reinforcer at that particular time.

🔁 Quick Recap: What We Learned About Reinforcement

In our last post, we looked at reinforcement:

We explored how behaviour is shaped by what comes after it—whether that’s praise, a break, or even unintentionally rewarding behaviour we’d rather not see.

But here’s the link:👉 Reinforcement only works if the person is motivated for the consequence.

You can offer the world’s most exciting sticker, toy, or praise—but if the child isn’t interested right now, it won’t reinforce the behavior. This is why understanding motivation is just as important as understanding reinforcement.

Layer What You've Learned: Motivation + Reinforcement

Let’s bring the two ideas together.

You can think of motivation as the fuel, and reinforcement as the feedback. Both are essential if we want to teach, support, and connect.

Practical Tips for Working With Motivation

🧠 Before giving instructions, ask yourself:

• Is the child motivated for what comes after?

• Are there competing motivations (e.g. tired, distracted, overwhelmed)?

• Have they had too much or too little access to the reinforcer recently?

  
  

🎯 Instead of “They don’t want to listen,” reframe as:

• “What’s motivating for them right now?”

• “Have I made the desired behavior worth their effort?”

🔄 Rotate reinforcers Motivation drops if something is overused. Even the most loved toy loses appeal after a while.

"Unwanted Behavior” Can Also Be Motivated

Sometimes, what we call “problem behavior” is a child trying to meet a valid need:

• Wanting a break

• Seeking attention

• Avoiding discomfort

  
  

If screaming gets them out of a task, and they’re strongly motivated to escape... it works. Our job isn’t just to reduce the behavior, but to understand and shape the motivation behind it.

Reflect & Apply

• When was the last time you were unmotivated to do something—even if you “should” have?

• What finally tipped the scale for you to take action?

• What might be motivating your learner’s behavior—even the tricky ones?

Understanding motivation allows us to reflect on the value of engaging in the behavior we want to see more of.

Let’s Keep Building

If you’ve followed along from the last post on reinforcement—great. Now you’ve got both lenses.

Next time you see a behaviour—good, bad, or baffling—pause and ask:

This is the heart of using ABA principles mindfully and practically in everyday life.

Conceptual Influence

Michael, J. (1993). Establishing operations. The Behavior Analyst, 16(2), 191–206.

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Macmillan.

Hanley, G. P., Jin, C. S., Vanselow, N. R., & Hanratty, L. A. (2014). Producing meaningful improvements in problem behavior of children with autism via synthesized analyses and treatments. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(1), 16–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.106