Ava's parents want her to put her books in her bookcase. At first, they praise her for putting the books together in one pile. Then they praise her for getting the books on the same side of the room as the bookcase. When she gets the books on top of the bookcase, she gets praise. Finally, her parents praise her when she puts her books in the bookcase. This is an example of __________.
A) negative reinforcement
B) punishment
C) extinction
D) shaping

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of shaping, as Ava's behavior is gradually shaped by reinforcing successive steps towards the desired behavior (putting the books in the bookcase). Each step that brings her closer to the goal (putting books in the bookcase) is reinforced by praise, which increases the likelihood that she will repeat that behavior in the future.

Ava's Parents Want Her to Put Her Books in Her