To teach a child to eat spaghetti, you would reinforce initial responses, such as holding the fork, and then increasingly closer approximations to the final response, a procedure known as
A)counter conditioning.
B)secondary conditioning.
C)desensitization.
D)shaping.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping is the best choice for this scenario because it involves reinforcing successive approximations to the desired behavior, which in this case is eating spaghetti. By reinforcing initial responses, such as holding the fork, and gradually reinforcing closer approximations to the final response (in this case, taking a bite of spaghetti), the child can eventually learn to eat spaghetti. Counter conditioning and desensitization are not appropriate for this scenario, as they involve changing an emotional response to a stimulus rather than teaching a specific behavior. Secondary conditioning is not relevant to this scenario.

To Teach a Child to Eat Spaghetti, You Would Reinforce