What is the purpose of prompting, and why is prompt fading important?

• A. Prompts replace reinforcement.
• B. Fading is unnecessary for independence.
• C. Prompting supports correct responses; fading promotes independent performance over time.
• D. Prompting always blocks independence.

Answer: (C)

Prompts are supports that guide a learner to emit the correct response, making it more likely they can access reinforcement and learn the target skill. The goal isn’t to replace reinforcement with prompts; instead, prompts help ensure the correct behavior occurs so reinforcement can follow. Fading is the systematic, gradual reduction of these prompts, transferring control from the prompt to the natural cues in the environment. As prompts are faded and independence emerges, the learner can perform the skill without help over time. This combination—promoting accurate responses through prompts while fading to build independent performance—best captures why prompting is used and why fading matters.

Prompts don’t replace reinforcement; reinforcement remains the driver of learning after the correct response is produced. Fading is essential for independence; without it, the learner may stay prompt-dependent. And prompting doesn’t always block independence; when faded appropriately, it enables independence rather than preventing it.