In the clothes-washing scenario, the dirty clothes going above a specific height in the hamper is a

• A. Establishing Operation
• B. Abolishing Operation
• C. Surrogate Motivating Operation
• D. Reflexive Motivating Operation

Answer: (D)

A reflexive motivating operation is a condition whose aversive quality signals that a particular behavior will terminate it, making that behavior more likely. In this case, when the dirty clothes rise to a certain height in the hamper, it creates an aversive situation—mess, odor, crowding, difficulty finding clothes—that will be relieved by washing. The height of the pile themselves signals that washing will reduce or remove the aversive state, so the urge to wash becomes more likely. It’s not about deprivation increasing the value of washing (that would be an establishing operation), nor about a surrogate or paired cue, nor about a condition that reduces the value of washing (an abolishing operation). The pile’s height specifically functions as a trigger that the aversive condition will be terminated by the washing action, which is the hallmark of a reflexive motivating operation.