Sherry wants her dog to "heel" on command.At first she gives the dog a treat for coming to her when she speaks the command,"Heel!" Then she only rewards the dog when it stands at her side when she gives the command and,finally,she rewards the dog only when it is at her side and facing front.Sherry is using ______.
A)higher-order conditioning.
B)biological readiness.
C)shaping.
D)generalization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sherry is using shaping, a behavioral technique in which a behavior is gradually shaped and reinforced until it closely approximates the desired behavior. She starts by rewarding the dog for simply coming to her when the command is given, then gradually increases the criteria for reinforcement until the dog stands at her side and faces front. This process is an example of shaping, not higher-order conditioning or biological readiness. Generalization refers to the tendency of an organism to respond to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus, which is not illustrated in this scenario.

Sherry Wants Her Dog to "Heel" on Command