Any behavior similar to a target behavior, reinforced in a program of shaping to produce the target behavior.

Any behavior similar to a target behavior, reinforced in a program of shaping to produce the target behavior.

• A. Chaining
• B. Functional Analysis
• C. Shaping
• D. Successive Approximation

Answer: (D)

Successive approximations are the smaller behaviors that resemble the target and are reinforced as shaping proceeds toward the final target. Each time the learner emits a behavior that is closer to the target and is reinforced, you’re adding another approximation to the sequence that leads to the desired behavior. The item’s description matches this idea exactly: any behavior similar to the target that is reinforced during shaping is a successive approximation. Chaining involves linking a sequence of distinct behaviors into a chain; Functional Analysis is about identifying environmental variables that maintain a behavior; shaping is the overall method of reinforcing closer and closer variants. The specific term for those intermediate, similar behaviors reinforced during shaping is successive approximation.

Successive approximations are the smaller behaviors that resemble the target and are reinforced as shaping proceeds toward the final target. Each time the learner emits a behavior that is closer to the target and is reinforced, you’re adding another approximation to the sequence that leads to the desired behavior. The item’s description matches this idea exactly: any behavior similar to the target that is reinforced during shaping is a successive approximation.

Chaining involves linking a sequence of distinct behaviors into a chain; Functional Analysis is about identifying environmental variables that maintain a behavior; shaping is the overall method of reinforcing closer and closer variants. The specific term for those intermediate, similar behaviors reinforced during shaping is successive approximation.