Mary's parents want her to put her books in her bookcase. At first, they praise her for putting the books together in one pile. Then they praise her for getting the books on the same side of the room as the bookcase. When she gets the books on top of the bookcase, she gets praise. Finally, her parents praise her when she puts her books in the bookcase. This is an example of ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of shaping, a behavior modification technique that involves rewarding successive approximations towards a desired behavior. Mary's parents are providing positive reinforcement for each step towards putting the books in the bookcase, gradually shaping her behavior to meet their expectations.

Mary's Parents Want Her to Put Her Books in Her