In an effort to get his dog to roll over, Bronn gives his dog a treat if he turns to the left. After the dog is reliably turning left, he must get down on the ground to get another treat. Then again he has to roll left for the treats. Finally the dog has to roll over to get a treat. Bronn is using the method known as
A)backward pairing
B)classical conditioning
C)higher-order conditioning
D)punishment
E)shaping

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Bronn is using shaping, a method where successive approximations of a desired behavior are reinforced. He starts by rewarding simple behaviors that are part of the final desired behavior (rolling over) and gradually requires more complex actions that are closer to the final goal.

In an Effort to Get His Dog to Roll Over