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Aló and Cançado's (this issue) primary argument is that motivation should be described in terms of an intervening variable. Furthermore, they raise secondary points concerning the status and usage of technical terms and the scope of the motivational concept in behavior analysis. We agree with Aló and Cançado that a clear definition of motivation is essential. However, we disagree with their analysis on a number of fundamental points, such as the correct use of technical terms, the range of phenomena that should be considered as motivational, and we argue that the concept of the intervening variable is incompatible with radical behaviorism. We contend that motivation is best conceptualized as factors that influence the rate of operant responding but that are not part of the operant contingency and that, as with the term reinforcement, the terms operation and process are useful distinctions that should be employed.
Key words: motivation, consequence-valuing operation, consequence-valuing process, intervening variable
Aló and Cançado (this issue) make the case that the concept of motivation is best described in terms of an intervening variable. Although we agree with some aspects of Aló and Cançado's arguments, such as the need to have a clear definition of motivation, we disagree with their analysis on a number of fundamental points. In this commentary, we stress the importance of using of technical terms correctly, we discuss what phenomena should be considered as motivational, and we argue that the concept of the intervening variable has no place in radical behaviorism. We contend that motivation is best conceptualized as factors that influence the rate of operant responding but that are not part of the operant contingency (Whelan & Barnes-Holmes, 2010). That is, the value of the consequences should be described in terms of the level of responding that occurs relative to some previously measured baseline and that, as with the term of reinforcement, the terms operation and process should be employed.
Terminological Issues
Correct Use of Technical Terms
According to Catania (1969), "the vocabulary of reinforcement includes at least three nouns: reinforcer as a stimulus, reinforcement as an operation, and reinforcement as a process or as a relationship between an operation and a process" (p. 845). As an operation, reinforcement is the delivery of a reinforcer; as a...