Anastasia wants to run and finish a marathon. Every day her trainer measures the distance she is able to run, and even though she is far short of the 26-mile distance of a marathon, Anastasia is praised for her daily runs. Her trainer feels that if he starts with the basic running skill and rewards her smaller efforts, Anastasia will eventually run a successful marathon. Her trainer is addressing her running behaviour by using the principles of ________.
A)approximation
B)delay of gratification
C)extinction
D)shaping

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The trainer is using the principle of shaping, which involves reinforcing successive approximations toward a final behavior. In this case, the trainer is rewarding Anastasia for smaller efforts that gradually lead up to the goal of running a marathon.

Anastasia Wants to Run and Finish a Marathon