Which term is defined as using differential reinforcement to produce a series of gradually changing response classes toward a terminal behavior?

• A. SHAPING
• B. SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY
• C. MAINTENANCE
• D. IMITATION

Answer: (A)

Shaping is the process of using differential reinforcement to produce a sequence of increasingly closer approximations to a desired final behavior. By reinforcing successive steps toward the target and gradually raising the criterion, you guide the learner from simple responses to the full terminal behavior. For example, teaching a child to say a three-word sentence might start with reinforcing any vocalization, then only reinforcing phrases that resemble a sentence, and finally reinforcing the exact target sentence. Spontaneous recovery refers to the return of a previously extinguished response after a break; maintenance is about sustaining a learned behavior over time; imitation is learning by observing and copying another’s behavior. Because shaping explicitly uses differential reinforcement to move through successive approximations toward a new, more complex behavior, it fits the description best.