What is Shaping?
Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior. You are "shaping" a rough behavior into a perfect one.
Key Concept: Reinforce the new approximation, and place the old approximation on Extinction.
Example: Teaching "Bubble"
- Client says "Buh" -> Reinforce. (Mastered).
- Client says "Buh" -> No Reinforcement. Client says "Bub" -> Reinforce!
- Client says "Bub" -> No Reinforcement. Client says "Bubble" -> Reinforce!
RBT Practice Exam Scenario
Question: "An RBT stops reinforcing 'Ba' and only reinforces 'Ball'. What procedure is this?"
Answer: Shaping.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shaping
Does shaping teach new behaviors?
Yes! Chaining puts existing behaviors together; Shaping creates a NEW behavior that the client couldn't do before.
What if you raise the bar too fast?
The client might give up (Ratio Strain). You have to drop back to the previous approximation.
What if you go too slow?
The client gets stuck on the lower level (e.g., thinking "Bub" is the real word).
Is shaping only for language?
No. You can shape handwriting, sports skills, volume of voice, duration of sitting, etc.