01
True or false
1 point
True or false: In shaping, the learner can build a new behavior through reinforced responses that progressively resemble the target, rather than being expected to perform the complete behavior immediately.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
4 Shaping New Skills Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 4 Shaping New Skills, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Written response
1 point
What technical term describes reinforcing some responses while not reinforcing others during shaping?
03
Fill in the blank
1 point
Teaching a sequence of distinct steps is called .
04
Choose one
1 point
A learner does not yet say “open” to request help with a container but sometimes makes a relevant vocal sound when the container is presented. Which response is the most suitable starting approximation for shaping?
- A
Require the learner to say “open” correctly before providing any help.
- B
Reinforce a relevant vocal sound after the container is presented.
- C
Teach the learner to complete several unrelated container tasks first.
- D
Wait until the learner spontaneously says “open” without any teaching.
05
True or false
1 point
True or false: If a learner cannot meet a shaping step, the instructor should keep requiring that same response until the learner performs it.
- A
True
- B
False
06
Choose all
1 point
Select all features that make a planned shaping step suitable.
- A
An observer can tell whether the learner met the criterion.
- B
The response changes a feature that genuinely advances the target skill.
- C
The step requires the complete target behavior from the outset.
- D
The learner is likely to succeed with practice.
- E
The step can be made smaller or larger in response to progress.
07
Choose one
1 point
An instructor wants to teach a learner a task made up of several distinct actions performed in order. Which procedure best matches that goal?
- A
Use chaining, because any skill involving practice is a sequence of steps.
- B
Use shaping, because it is designed to teach a fixed sequence of distinct actions.
- C
Use chaining, because the learner must learn a sequence of distinct steps.
- D
Use neither procedure, because a behavior must already be complete before it can be taught.
08
Written response
1 point
What is the technical term for information about what a learner already does, how often, and under what circumstances?
09
Fill in the blank
1 point
To help different people recognize and record the same behavior, a useful definition should be .
10
Choose one
1 point
A learner is being taught to say “open” to request help with a container. Which sequence is an example of shaping toward that target?
- A
Teach “open,” then “ope,” then “oh,” and finally a relevant vocal sound.
- B
Reinforce every sound indefinitely, even after the target response is established.
- C
Move from a relevant vocal sound to “oh,” then “ope,” and finally “open.”
- D
Teach unrelated words before asking for the target response.
11
Choose all
1 point
Select all practices that fit the use of reinforcement during shaping.
- A
Deliver a reinforcer that matters to the learner promptly when the current criterion is met.
- B
Punish errors so the learner stops producing earlier approximations.
- C
When the response becomes reliable, shift reinforcement toward a closer approximation.
- D
Remove access to necessary communication whenever an approximation is not met.
- E
As the criterion shifts, stop arranging reinforcement for the earlier approximation as the taught response.
12
Choose one
1 point
A learner's progress toward a target behavior has stalled. What is the most appropriate next action?
- A
Keep the criterion unchanged and provide reinforcement only after the target behavior occurs.
- B
Check the reinforcer, recognition of the response, and step size; make the criterion more attainable if needed.
- C
Stop recording performance because stalled progress cannot be assessed.
- D
Switch to reinforcing unrelated responses until the learner makes progress.
13
Open ended
1 point
Describe how you would plan and monitor shaping for a learner who is not yet performing a target behavior. Include how you would define the target, choose initial steps, use reinforcement, and respond if progress stalls.
14
Choose one
1 point
An instructor wants different observers to identify the same target behavior. Which definition is clearest and most measurable?
- A
Communicates well during difficult activities
- B
Says “help” aloud after encountering a difficult task
- C
Shows a positive attitude when tasks are challenging
- D
Makes progress toward communicating more effectively
15
Choose one
1 point
A learner is taught to complete a routine by learning its distinct steps in order. Which teaching procedure best describes this approach?
- A
Shaping, because each action is a separate link in a sequence
- B
Differential reinforcement, because the goal is to teach a fixed sequence of actions
- C
Chaining, because the learner is learning a sequence of distinct steps
- D
Shaping, because the learner is practicing the complete target response from the beginning
16
Written response
1 point
What is the term for reinforcing some responses while not reinforcing others?
17
Written response
1 point
Before selecting shaping steps, what is the term for assessing what the learner already does, how often, and under what circumstances?
18
Choose one
1 point
A learner rarely says a complete request but already makes a relevant vocal sound when needing help. What is the best basis for choosing the first shaping step?
- A
Start with the final target so the learner encounters it immediately
- B
Identify a response the learner already performs and use it as a starting point when possible
- C
Choose the same starting response used for other learners
- D
Select a response that is unrelated to the target but easy to reinforce
19
Choose one
1 point
A learner cannot yet produce the next planned approximation reliably. What is the most appropriate adjustment?
- A
Make the next step as large as possible to speed up learning
- B
Keep the criterion unchanged regardless of the learner’s response
- C
Choose a smaller, attainable change that still moves toward the target
- D
Reinforce any response, even if it does not advance the target skill
20
True or false
1 point
Two learners working toward the same target behavior may need different shaping approximations.
- A
True
- B
False