 successive approximation of behavior really complicated sounding not so much I'll give you the idea successive approximations is having a target in mind but it's the steps between the thing you have in mind and the behaviors leading up to that so you're gonna reinforce successive approximations so if you got closer to if if you got closer if someone got closer to the behavior you're looking for you're going to reinforce it so the idea being let's say you have a kid learning to use a spoon if he actually touches the spoon you're gonna reinforce that the next step logically think eating with a spoon right if he picks up the spoon you're gonna reinforce that if he gets the spoon close to his mouth you're gonna reinforce that and finally if he's putting the spoon in his mouth you're gonna reinforce that and then you can go as far as taking the spoon and dipping it in the food you're gonna reinforce that and getting the idea successive approximations