Nicolas has autistic disorder and is mute. A therapist working with Nicolas initially gave him a piece of chocolate any time he made a sound with his lips. This slowly changed until Nicolas only received a piece of chocolate for saying complete words, and eventually only for saying complete sentences. In this example, Nicolas developed speech skills through the use of
A)classical conditioning.
B)modeling.
C)shaping.
D)negative reinforcement.

Question

Nicolas has autistic disorder and is mute. A therapist working with Nicolas initially gave him a piece of chocolate any time he made a sound with his lips. This slowly changed until Nicolas only received a piece of chocolate for saying complete words, and eventually only for saying complete sentences. In this example, Nicolas developed speech skills through the use of ​
A)classical conditioning.
B)modeling.
C)shaping.
D)negative reinforcement.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping is a technique used in behavior modification that involves reinforcing behaviors that are successively closer to the desired behavior. In this case, Nicolas was rewarded for making sounds, then for saying words, and finally for saying complete sentences, gradually shaping his speech skills.

Nicolas Has Autistic Disorder and Is Mute