What does shaping mean (in the context of operant conditioning)?
A)Establishing a response by punishing every alternative response
B)Molding the animal's body into position to make the response
C)Establishing a response and then providing opportunities to apply it in new situations
D)Establishing a response by reinforcing successive approximations

Question

What does shaping mean (in the context of operant conditioning)?​
A)Establishing a response by punishing every alternative response
B)Molding the animal's body into position to make the response​
C)Establishing a response and then providing opportunities to apply it in new situations​
D)Establishing a response by reinforcing successive approximations​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shaping refers to the process of gradually reinforcing successive approximations towards a desired behavior. This means that rather than reinforcing the behavior outright, the individual is reinforced for small steps that approximate the final behavior until they learn the final behavior itself.

What Does Shaping Mean (In the Context of Operant Conditioning)?​

What Does Shaping Mean (In the Context of Operant Conditioning)?