Tamika is learning how to tie her shoes. Her father praises her for crossing the shoelaces. Then, he praises her again as she learns to form one end into a loop. Slowly, Tamika learns how to tie a bow with the laces. This reinforcing of small steps toward a desired behavior is called

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Shaping is a technique used in behavioral psychology that involves reinforcing successive approximations of a target behavior. In this scenario, Tamika's father is reinforcing each small step she takes towards learning how to tie her shoes, which is a classic example of shaping.

Tamika Is Learning How to Tie Her Shoes