Maya, an employee at a marine mammal park, has to teach a dolphin to swim through a hoop. First, Maya rewards the dolphin for swimming and coming near the hoop. Next, she rewards the dolphin for touching the hoop. Then, she rewards the dolphin for sticking his nose through the middle of the hoop. Finally, Maya rewards the dolphin for swimming through the hoop. Psychologists would term this process as ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This process is called shaping, a technique in behaviorism where successive approximations of a desired behavior are reinforced. Maya gradually rewards behaviors that are closer to the final goal of swimming through the hoop, which is a classic example of shaping.

Maya, an Employee at a Marine Mammal Park, Has to Teach