Which ABA principle supports teaching through smaller steps?

The correct answer is shaping, as this principle is specifically designed to facilitate learning by breaking down complex behaviors into smaller, manageable steps. In shaping, an individual is taught a behavior gradually by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired behavior. This means that rather than expecting a person to perform a skill perfectly the first time, the instructor provides reinforcement for any attempts or behaviors that are closer to the final goal.

This systematic approach allows learners to build confidence and competence at each step, reinforcing progress and making it easier for them to eventually master the more complex behavior. It emphasizes patience and teaches through gradual improvement, which is critical in various teaching contexts, especially in ABA therapy.

Options like generalization, chain analysis, and reinforcement are related to different aspects of behavior analysis but do not specifically emphasize breaking down the teaching process into smaller steps as shaping does. Generalization refers to applying learned behaviors to different contexts, chain analysis focuses on understanding the sequence of behaviors in a task, and reinforcement deals with increasing the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.