Final answer:
Austin's parents are employing operant conditioning by giving him a cookie each time he correctly uses the toilet, reinforcing the behavior to make it more likely to reoccur.
Step-by-step explanation:
Austin's parents are using operant conditioning to train him. In operant conditioning, behaviors are reinforced or punished based on their consequences. Austin receives a small cookie as a reward every time he uses the toilet correctly, which acts as a positive reinforcement. This reinforcement increases the likelihood of Austin using the toilet correctly in the future.
In operant conditioning, behaviors are learned by associating them with their consequences. When Austin uses the toilet correctly and receives a cookie, he experiences a positive consequence that increases the likelihood he will repeat the behavior in the future. This method of learning is based on the work of B.F. Skinner and involves reinforcement to strengthen a behavior.