Michael's teacher used to say "good" when Michael managed to pronounce words correctly. Then she said "good" only when Michael correctly read an entire sentence. Now she withholds encouraging comments until he has read several sentences accurately. What technique is Michael's teacher using in teaching him to read?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Michael's teacher is using shaping, which involves gradually increasing the criteria for reinforcement to shape desired behavior. In this case, the teacher initially reinforced Michael for pronouncing words correctly, then moved to reinforcing him for reading complete sentences accurately, and now requires even more accurate reading before giving positive feedback. This helps Michael to improve his reading skills step by step.

Michael's Teacher Used to Say "Good" When Michael Managed to Pronounce