University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USAThe term establishing operation (EO) refers to an event that alters the reinforcement e•ects of aparticular stimulus. Although EOs have received more attention in the basic, non-humanliterature, reports of EO manipulations in the treatment of aberrant behavior are increasinglyappearing. We discuss EO interventions for behaviors maintained by social positive reinforcement(e.g., noncontingent reinforcement), social negative reinforcement (e.g., noncontingent escape,curricular revision, demand fading), and automatic reinforcement (e.g., environmental enrich-ment, noncontingent stimulation, reduced aversive stimulation). Suggestions for future researchconcerning both specific EO interventions and the general manipulation of EOs as a behavior-change technique are provided. #1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Behav. Intervent., Vol. 13, 43–59 (1998)