To train a rat to press a bar in a Skinner box, Dr. Jones first gives the rat a reinforcer for smelling the bar, then gives it a reinforcer for touching the bar lightly, and then, finally, gives another reinforcer when the goal behavior, bar-pressing, is accomplished. Dr.
Jones's technique is best illustrative of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dr. Jones is using successive approximations, also known as shaping, by reinforcing behaviors that approximate the final goal behavior of bar-pressing. This technique involves reinforcing small steps towards the final goal behavior, as the rat becomes closer and closer to the desired behavior.

To Train a Rat to Press a Bar in a Skinner