Final answer:
A target behavior is a specific action an individual is trying to establish or change through learned behavior. Operant conditioning uses reinforcement or punishment to modify this behavior. The right answer to the question could either be that the target behavior is one that the person does not have but is trying to achieve, or one they are seeking to reinforce to establish as a habit.
Step-by-step explanation:
A target behavior is a specific action that a person seeks to change or reinforce. When discussing learned behaviors and concepts such as operant conditioning, a target behavior can be something an individual does not have but is trying to achieve, or a behavior they wish to reinforce to establish as a habit. Within operant conditioning, reinforcement or punishment follows the target behavior to either strengthen or weaken it, thereby increasing the likelihood that the individual will exhibit the desired behavior in the future.
Shaping is an essential technique used in operant conditioning, involving rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior until the final desired behavior is achieved. This is particularly useful when the behavior is complex or does not occur naturally.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: A) A target behavior is a behavior that a person does not have but is trying to achieve, or C) a person seeks to reinforce to establish as a habit.