What is the recommended modification to the shaping procedure when the preschooler only touches pants and does not pull them up?

• A. Remove reinforcement for any partial attempt.
• B. Provide a verbal prompt but no physical prompt.
• C. Add a prompt to pull up the pants to help make the shaping process more efficient.
• D. Wait longer before providing any reinforcement.

Answer: (C)

Shaping a motor task relies on guiding the learner to perform the next step toward the target behavior. When the preschooler only touches the pants and does not pull them up, providing a physical prompt to pull up the pants helps the child emit the next required action. This keeps reinforcement contingent on actually completing the step that moves toward the goal, making the shaping process more efficient. Once the child starts pulling up the pants reliably, you can gradually fade the physical prompt to promote independence.

Waiting longer before reinforcement slows progress; removing reinforcement for partial attempts undermines motivation; verbal prompts alone may be insufficient for a child who isn’t yet executing the next step.