Final answer:
The four-term contingency in operant conditioning adds 'motivating operations' to the original three-term contingency. This concept affects the value of reinforcers or punishers, therefore influencing behavior frequency.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Four-Term Contingency in Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning involves learning through the consequences of our behavior. The three-term contingency in operant conditioning includes a discriminative stimulus, a response, and a consequence, which can be either a reinforcer or a punisher. When we discuss the transition from a three-term to a four-term contingency, we add the concept of motivating operations. These operations affect the value of the reinforcer or punisher and consequently influence the likelihood of the behavior occurring. Motivating operations can establish or abolish the effectiveness of a consequence.
For example, if a student studies hard because they are motivated by the desire for a good grade (which is the reinforcer), and then they receive a high mark on their test, the desire for good grades would be the motivating operation that made that positive reinforcer effective. In this context, the addition of motivating operations to the contingency helps explain a more complex aspect of behavior modification.