In Marcia's first tennis lesson, her instructor Keith is trying to teach her the correct way to swing a tennis racket. Keith praises Marcia every time she hits the tennis ball over the net and onto the opponent's side of the court using the correct body position. Marcia shows little improvement during the one-hour lesson. From a behaviorist perspective, what mistake is Keith probably making in teaching Marcia to play tennis?
A) He fails to realize that Marcia has little to gain by changing her behavior.
B) He is using intermittent rather than continuous reinforcement.
C) He should shape the behavior rather than expect immediate mastery.
D) Praise is rarely an effective reinforcer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mistake that Keith is probably making is not realizing that shaping the behavior is necessary for Marcia to learn to play tennis. Marcia may not be able to master the correct way to swing the tennis racket immediately, and thus, Keith should use a step-by-step approach to teaching her. This is known as shaping - reinforcing successive approximations to the desired behavior. By shaping her behavior, Keith can help Marcia build up her skills and eventually master the correct way to swing the tennis racket.

In Marcia's First Tennis Lesson, Her Instructor Keith Is Trying