Miroslav is training to be a telephone salesperson.Initially, his boss pays Miroslav for every phone call that he makes.Later, Miroslav only gets paid if the customer requests an information package, and eventually he will only be paid if he actually closes the sale.Based on what is known about operant conditioning, you should conclude that Miroslav's telephone sales skills are being developed using the process known as:
A)negative reinforcement
B)shaping
C)adventitious reinforcement
D)vicarious reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Miroslav's training is based on shaping, where his behavior is gradually changed through reinforcement of successive approximations towards the desired behavior. Initially, he is rewarded for making phone calls, and then the reward is given for the next step towards closing the sale, until he is only rewarded for the ultimate goal of making the sale. This is a classic example of shaping in operant conditioning. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior, adventitious reinforcement is accidental reinforcement, and vicarious reinforcement involves learning from the experience of others.

Miroslav Is Training to Be a Telephone Salesperson