Final answer:
A procedure to identify effective reinforcers is known as a preference assessment. Importance is given to the individual's motivation which is key in operant conditioning for reinforcing desired behaviors through techniques such as shaping and various reinforcement schedules.
Step-by-step explanation:
A procedure used to reliably identify items to be used as effective reinforcers is called a preference assessment. In the context of operant conditioning, identifying effective reinforcers is crucial because they strengthen the likelihood that the desired behavior will be repeated. Reinforcers can be anything that the individual finds motivating, such as tokens, money, praise, or food. Shaping is a technique that involves the use of successive approximations to teach complex behaviors, where each step that gets closer to the target behavior is reinforced.
Reinforcement schedules can dictate how often a reinforcement is given. For example, in continuous reinforcement, the behavior is reinforced every time it occurs. This type of schedule is particularly effective in the early stages of learning a new behavior. As learning progresses, more complex schedules like fixed-ratio or variable-ratio can be used, where a reinforcement is given after a set or variable number of responses, respectively.
In educational settings, techniques such as token economies and vicarious reinforcement are also effective in modifying behavior. Primary and secondary reinforcers are used depending on the individual and the context, where primary reinforcers satisfy a biological need, and secondary reinforcers are conditioned to have value. An understanding of these concepts is essential to apply operant conditioning techniques effectively, whether it's in a classroom or when training animals.