FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which method involves using positive reinforcement to support progress towards a learning goal through incremental steps?

1. Extinction

2. Shaping

3. Positive punishment

4. Negative punishment

The correct answer is: Shaping

Shaping is the correct answer because it specifically refers to the process of using positive reinforcement to guide behavior towards a desired learning goal by reinforcing successive approximations of that goal. This method is particularly effective in helping learners achieve complex tasks that may seem overwhelming if approached as a whole. Instead of requiring immediate mastery of the final behavior, shaping breaks the learning goal down into smaller, more manageable steps, rewarding progress along the way. For example, if a student is learning to write an essay, instead of waiting for a fully developed essay to reward their efforts, a teacher might initially reward them for completing an outline, then for writing a paragraph, and so on. Each of these steps is reinforced positively, building the learner’s skills gradually. In contrast, extinction involves removing reinforcement leading to a decrease in a behavior, while positive punishment and negative punishment both aim to decrease a behavior through the application or removal of stimuli, respectively. These other methods do not focus on encouraging incremental progress towards goals through positive reinforcement, making shaping the most suitable choice for this particular question.