Which process involves gradually guiding behavior toward a target by rewarding closer approximations?

Which process involves gradually guiding behavior toward a target by rewarding closer approximations?

• A. Shaping
• B. Stimulus Control
• C. Extinction
• D. Punishment

Answer: (A)

Shaping is a process in which behavior is gradually guided toward a target by reinforcing closer and closer approximations. You start by reinforcing the first response that resembles the desired behavior, then only reinforce responses that come closer to the target, continuing step by step until the final skill is achieved. This builds complex behavior from simpler actions through successive improvements, such as teaching a child to speak a word by rewarding sounds, then syllables, then the full word. The key is that reinforcement is contingent on progress toward the goal, not just any behavior or a change in the environment. Stimulus control involves cues in the environment that signal when a behavior will be reinforced, not a gradual progression toward a target. Extinction means withholding reinforcement, leading to a decrease in the behavior. Punishment involves applying or removing consequences to reduce the behavior.

Shaping is a process in which behavior is gradually guided toward a target by reinforcing closer and closer approximations. You start by reinforcing the first response that resembles the desired behavior, then only reinforce responses that come closer to the target, continuing step by step until the final skill is achieved. This builds complex behavior from simpler actions through successive improvements, such as teaching a child to speak a word by rewarding sounds, then syllables, then the full word. The key is that reinforcement is contingent on progress toward the goal, not just any behavior or a change in the environment.

Stimulus control involves cues in the environment that signal when a behavior will be reinforced, not a gradual progression toward a target. Extinction means withholding reinforcement, leading to a decrease in the behavior. Punishment involves applying or removing consequences to reduce the behavior.