You are trying to get your roommate to keep things neater, so you leave a nice note after she makes any attempt to pick things up. After a while, you only leave a note after the dirty dishes are stacked, then only when they are brought to the kitchen, and finally only when she puts them in the dishwasher. This is an example of:
A) shaping
B) punishing
C) chaining
D) generalizing

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping involves rewarding successive approximations towards a desired behavior. In this case, leaving a note after your roommate makes any attempt to pick things up is a reward for a small step towards keeping things neater. Gradually, the reward (note) is only given when the behavior is closer to the desired behavior (putting dishes in the dishwasher), which is an example of shaping.

You Are Trying to Get Your Roommate to Keep Things