Final answer:
The abative effect of a motivating operation refers to the decrease in the reinforcing value of a stimulus or event due to changes in the motivating conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The abative effect of a motivating operation refers to the decrease in the reinforcing value of a stimulus or event due to the presence of an establishing operation. It occurs when an event that was previously reinforcing becomes less effective in maintaining behavior due to changes in the motivating conditions.
For example, let's say a student is usually motivated to study by the promise of receiving extra credit. However, if the teacher announces that extra credit will no longer be given, the reinforcing value of studying will decrease, resulting in a decrease in the student's motivation to study.
The abative effect can also be seen in other contexts. For instance, if a person is hungry and sees a piece of food, the food will likely be reinforcing and increase their motivation to eat it. However, if the person has just eaten a large meal and is no longer hungry, the food will have less reinforcing value and their motivation to eat it will decrease.