Frank begins training his dog Sigmund to bring him the newspaper by giving Sigmund a treat when the dog goes to the door. During successive attempts at training, he rewards Sigmund with a treat when the dog sniffs the newspaper, picks up the newspaper in his mouth, and brings the newspaper to Frank. In this example, Frank is training his dog using which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of shaping, as Frank is gradually reinforcing successive approximations to the final behavior he desires (bringing the newspaper to Frank). By initially rewarding Sigmund for going to the door, and then later for sniffing the newspaper, picking it up, and bringing it to Frank, he is gradually shaping the behavior he wants.

Frank Begins Training His Dog Sigmund to Bring Him the Newspaper