Mrs.Martin,a third-grade teacher,is instructing cursive writing.At first,she reinforces even crude attempts to reproduce letters with an encouraging word; as time goes on,though,she reinforces only well-formed letters.By reinforcing progressively better attempts at writing letters,Mrs.Martin is using:
A)discrimination training.
B)shaping.
C)stimulus control training.
D)behavior modification.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mrs. Martin is using shaping, which involves reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. In this case, the desired behavior is well-formed letters, and Mrs. Martin is reinforcing progressively better attempts at writing those letters. Discrimination training involves teaching an individual to respond differently to two or more stimuli, and stimulus control training involves manipulating antecedents to increase or decrease the probability of a behavior occurring. Behavior modification is a broader term that encompasses various techniques used to change behavior. While Mrs. Martin's approach may involve aspects of behavior modification, shaping is the specific technique being used in this scenario.

MrsMartin,a Third-Grade Teacher,is Instructing Cursive Writing