What technique establishes new behaviors by rewarding desired actions?

• A. Modeling
• B. Shaping
• C. Extinction
• D. Punishment

Answer: (B)

Shaping is a technique in behavior modification that focuses on reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior. This method identifies a target behavior that may be too complex or not fully developed and breaks it down into smaller, achievable steps. Each time the individual demonstrates a behavior that is closer to the desired outcome, that action is rewarded, which increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

For example, if the goal is to teach a child to tie their shoes, initially rewarding them for simply picking up the shoelaces can lead to more complex actions being rewarded over time—like crossing the laces, making a loop, and finally tying the shoe. This gradual reinforcement encourages the learning of new behaviors in a structured way, ultimately establishing the complete desired behavior.

In contrast to this approach, modeling involves demonstrating a behavior for someone to imitate, rather than rewarding actions. Extinction refers to the process of reducing undesired behaviors by withholding reinforcement, and punishment entails introducing an adverse consequence to decrease a behavior. Neither of these techniques focuses on the proactive reinforcement of desired actions like shaping does.