Shaping
differential reinforcment of successive approximations of a target behavior until the person exhibits the target behavior. (is used to develop a target behavior that a person does not currently exhibit.
Differential reinforcement
involves the basic principles of reinforcement and extinction. Occurs when one particular behavior is reinforced while all other behaviors are not reinforced in a particular situation.
Successive approximations
(or shaping steps) are behaviors that are increasingly more similar to the target behavior
Starting behavior
identify an existing behavior that is an approximation of the target behavior
How can shaping be used
- When generating a novel behavior
- Reinstating a previously exhibited behavior
How do you use shaping
- Define the target behavior
- Determine whether shaping is the most appropriate procedure
- identify the starting behavior
- Choose the shaping steps
- Choose the reinforcer to use in shaping procedure
- differentially reinforce each successive approximation
- move through the shaping steps at a proper pace
Why do you have to be careful with shaping?
you may inadvertently develop problem behaviors.
