A student wants to train their dog, Jupiter, to walk to the television and turn it on with using the nose. The student begins the training by rewarding Jupiter whenever they take a step into the living room. Next, the student rewards Jupiter only when they walk in the direction of the television. Then the student rewards Jupiter only when they walk to the television, and finally rewards Jupiter only when the touch the power button with their paw and turns on the television. The behavioural technique that the student is using to train the dog is called _____________.
A)chaining
B)approximate reinforcement
C)shaping
D)behaviour modification

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping is the correct answer because it involves reinforcing behaviors that are successively closer to the desired behavior. In this scenario, the student rewards behaviors that gradually approximate the final goal of turning on the television with the nose, which is a classic example of shaping.

A Student Wants to Train Their Dog, Jupiter, to Walk