The introduction of additional stimuli to ensure correct performance and the systematic fading of said stimuli as independence increases is described by which term?

• A. Stimulus Fading Procedures
• B. Prompt and Prompt Fading Procedures
• C. Noncontingent Reinforcement
• D. Antecedents

Answer: (B)

Prompting and prompt fading procedures are about guiding a learner to respond correctly by giving cues and then gradually removing those cues as independence improves. In this scenario, you introduce extra stimuli to help ensure a correct response, then systematically fade those prompts as the learner becomes more accurate and can perform the behavior on its own. This approach transfers control from the prompt to the actual target stimulus, promoting independence over time.

The other terms don’t fit as neatly. Stimulus fading procedures focus on changing the discriminative stimulus itself rather than the process of adding and then removing prompts. Noncontingent reinforcement involves providing reinforcement regardless of the learner’s behavior, which isn’t about prompts or fading. Antecedents is a broad category describing events that occur before a behavior, but it doesn’t specify the practice of prompting and fading prompts.