Billy taught two rats how to play basketball for his experimental psychology class. What process did he likely use?
A) operant conditioning
B) shaping
C) reinforcement
D) punishment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping involves breaking down a complex behavior into smaller, achievable steps and reinforcing each step until the desired behavior is achieved. In this case, Billy likely started with simple behaviors such as touching the ball and gradually shaped the rats' behavior until they were able to play basketball. Operant conditioning, reinforcement, and punishment may all have been used to reinforce or discourage certain behaviors during the shaping process, but shaping is the most specific process involved in teaching the rats to play basketball.

Billy Taught Two Rats How to Play Basketball for His