Shaping
Teaching a new behavior by differentially reinforcing successive approximations, each a little closer to the target behavior, until the target itself occurs.
Shaping builds a behavior the learner does not yet show by reinforcing small steps toward it. The supervisor defines the terminal behavior (the final goal) and a starting point the learner can already do. Responses that meet the current step are reinforced, and responses that fall short are not. Once the learner meets the current step reliably, the criterion moves one step closer to the target and the earlier, rougher form is no longer reinforced.
Shaping is a form of differential reinforcement. It works because behavior naturally varies a little from one response to the next, and reinforcing the variations that are closer to the goal makes them more likely. Steps can change the form of the behavior (from "buh" to "ball") or another dimension such as duration, latency or force (sitting for 10 seconds, then 20, then 40).
Shaping is useful when the target cannot easily be prompted, such as vocal sounds, eye contact duration or tolerating a haircut. Its limits are that it can be slow, it requires careful observation so the RBT reinforces the right responses at the right time, and moving too fast or too slowly through the steps can stall progress. If the learner stops responding, the plan usually says to drop back to the previous step.
The RBT follows the step sequence and criteria the supervisor wrote, records which step the learner is on, and reports when progress stalls.
Example and non-example
| Example | A plan targets a client saying "water." The RBT first reinforces "wa," then, once that is reliable, reinforces only "wa-er," and finally only "water." |
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| Non-example | An RBT teaches handwashing by linking turning on the tap, wetting hands, using soap, rinsing and drying in order. That is chaining several different behaviors, not shaping one behavior toward a final form. |
Don't confuse it with
| Chaining | Chaining links a sequence of different responses into one routine, while shaping gradually changes a single response toward a final form or level. |
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| Stimulus shaping | Stimulus shaping gradually changes the form of the stimulus presented, while shaping changes the learner's response. |
Test yourself
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Question 1How does chaining differ from shaping?
Show answer
D: Chaining links several responses; shaping refines one. Chaining teaches a sequence of separate responses (the steps of a task analysis), while shaping reinforces successive approximations of a single response until the target form is reached.
- A: Shaping is built on reinforcement of successive approximations.
- B: Both are used with learners of all ages.
- C: This reverses the two definitions.
Task C.5 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 2What is shaping?
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A: Reinforcing successive approximations of a terminal behavior. Shaping builds a new behavior by reinforcing responses that are closer and closer to the target behavior while no longer reinforcing earlier, less similar forms.
- B: Reinforcing steps of a task analysis in order from the first step is forward chaining.
- C: Gradually removing an added cue is stimulus fading.
- D: Reinforcement on a time schedule regardless of behavior is noncontingent reinforcement.
Task C.10 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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Question 3In shaping, what are successive approximations?
Show answer
D: Responses that come closer and closer to the target behavior. Successive approximations are the series of responses, each more like the terminal behavior than the one before, that are reinforced one after another during shaping.
- A: Linking separate behaviors into a sequence is chaining.
- B: Fading prompts from most to least intrusive is a prompting procedure, not a series of responses.
- C: Stimuli that signal reinforcement is available are discriminative stimuli.
Task C.10 · 40-hour curriculum section E
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On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task C.10 Shaping in content area C, Behavior Acquisition, which is 19 of the 75 scored questions.