Phil wants to train his parrot to kick a ball into a soccer net. Which of the following should he do?
A) Wait until the parrot kicks the ball into the net on its own and then give it a food treat.
B) Use negative punishment until the parrot kicks the ball into the net.
C) Begin by reinforcing when the parrot goes near the ball.
D) Use positive punishment until the parrot kicks the ball into the net.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice for Phil would be to begin by reinforcing when the parrot goes near the ball. This is because it is a good starting point in shaping the behavior of kicking the ball into the net. Once the parrot is comfortable being near the ball, Phil can start to reinforce movements towards the ball, then touching the ball, and finally kicking the ball into the net. Using punishment (positive or negative) is not recommended as it can cause fear or anxiety in the parrot, making it less likely to want to learn or perform the behavior.

Phil Wants to Train His Parrot to Kick a Ball