Ms.O'Connor reinforces James every time she sees him reading independently.Once he is reading frequently, she begins to reinforce him only every second time, then only every third time, and so on, gradually reinforcing him less and less often.From a behaviorist perspective, we can predict that Jimmy will:
A)Continue to read independently
B)Read less and less often
C)Read only when he is forced to do so
D)Stop reading altogether

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ms.O'Connor is using a technique called "shaping" to gradually reduce the reinforcement given to James for reading. This technique is used to encourage and maintain a behavior. Since James has already developed the behavior of reading independently, it is likely that he will continue to do so even with less frequent reinforcement. Therefore, the best choice is A-Continue to read independently.

MsO'Connor Reinforces James Every Time She Sees Him Reading Independently