What is Shaping?

 

Shaping

        Shaping is a procedure used to establish a behavior that is not presently performed by an individual. The method used is differential reinforcement of successive approximations . It was introduced by B.F. Skinner. Shaping assists in "discrimination", which is the ability to tell the difference between stimuli that are and are not reinforced, and in "generalization", which is the application of a response learned in one situation to a different but similar situation.

Definition of shaping

    The development of a new behavior by the reinforcement of successive approximations of  closer approximation and the extinguishing of preceding approximation of the bahavior.

There are four aspects of behavior that are particularly subject to shaping:

1. Topography-- spatial configuration or form of a particular response or the specific movement involved. Examples: printing a word and writing a word, the movements of a variety of sports, speech, etc.

2. Amount - the frequency of a behavior (the number of times it occurs in a given time) or its duration (the length of time that a response lasts)

3. Latency-- reaction time

4. Intensity -- the force of a response

What two principles are involved in shaping?

reinforcement and extinction

When used shaping

·                     Shaping is used in training operant responses in lab animals, and in applied behavior analysis to change human behaviors considered to be maladaptive or dysfunctional. It also plays an important role in commercial animal training.

·                     Shaping can also be used in a rehabilitation center. For example, training on parallel bars can approximate walking with a walker Or shaping can teach patients how to increase the time between bathroom visits. Shaping is common in everyday life - becoming a better dancer,learn to hit a tennis ball more accurately, learn to drive..

Examples of Shaping

·         Language development

·         Getting a rat to press a lever

·         Animal training

·         Rehabilitation (0'Neill & Gardner, 1983)

·         Voice volume (Jackson & Wallace, 1974)

·         Self-injurious behavior (Schaeffer, 1970)

·         Shaping Problem Behaviors

·         Child tantrums or other problem behaviors

·         Parents yelling/nagging

·         Showing off

·         Dog begging for food

·         SIB (self-Injurious behavior) or other problems

·         from individuals with MR /DD

·         (developmental disabilities)

Advantages of Behavioral Shaping

• Positive procedure

• Can be used to teach new behaviors especially those that cannot easily be leaned by physical cues or verbal prompts

• Can be combined with other behavior change procedures such as chaining

Disadvantages of Behavioral Shaping

• Time consuming

Progress is not always linear The individual does not always proceed from from

one behavior to the next in a continuous, uninterrupted flow

• Clinical judgment is involved how rapidly to increase requirements and how much each

requirement should be increased.

• Often there are subtle changes in the behavior that are difficult to detect by an unskilled clinician

• Very hard to get IOA on intermediate behaviors

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