Maria's boss was unhappy with the way her grooming and dress had deteriorated over the last few years.Rather than reprimand her,the boss decided to lavishly praise Maria on days when she was neater and gradually raise his requirements for praise as Maria became neater and neater.The technique being planned was
A) extinction.
B) shaping.
C) fixed interval reinforcement.
D) variable interval reinforcement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping involves gradually rewarding successive approximations to a desired behavior. In this scenario, Maria's boss is rewarding her when she is neater, and gradually increasing his expectations for what qualifies for praise. This is a clear example of shaping, where Maria's behavior is gradually shaped towards the desired goal of being well-groomed and well-dressed. The other options, extinction, fixed interval reinforcement, and variable interval reinforcement, do not accurately describe the technique being used in this situation.

Maria's Boss Was Unhappy with the Way Her Grooming and Dress