B. F. Skinner was able to train a pigeon to make a complete counterclockwise circle by reinforcing successive approximations to this final goal in a process known as
A) stimulus discrimination.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) extinction.
D) shaping.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The process of reinforcing successive approximations to a final goal is known as shaping. Therefore, option D is the best choice. Option A (stimulus discrimination) refers to the ability to distinguish between similar stimuli, option B (stimulus generalization) refers to the tendency for similar stimuli to produce similar responses, and option C (extinction) refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a learned response.

B F Skinner Was Able to Train a Pigeon to Make