Mr.Joe wants a hyperactive boy to be able to sit quietly for at least 15 minutes at a time.To do this, he begins praising the boy for sitting still for one minute, then for two minutes, and then for four minutes, and so on.Mr.Joe's strategy reflects which one of the following concepts?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping is a technique used in behavior modification that involves reinforcing behaviors that are successively closer to the target behavior. In this case, Mr. Joe is using shaping by gradually increasing the time the boy needs to sit quietly, starting from one minute and progressively requiring longer periods, thereby reinforcing closer approximations to the desired behavior of sitting quietly for at least 15 minutes.

MrJoe Wants a Hyperactive Boy to Be Able to Sit