Shaping & Chaining Behavior 8-19-13

1. Shaping & Chaining Behavior8-19-13 Malott, R. (2008) Principles of Behavior.

2. Shaping Behavior Malott, R. (2008) Principles of Behavior.

3. Example • Andrew entered Big State Hospital when he was 21 • From the day he entered, he didn’t say a word – 19 years of silence • He attended Dawn’s group therapy session with patients who did speak • In one session Dawn accidentally dropped a stick of chewing gum from her purse • Andrew showed interest in the gum

4. Andrew • In the next group session, Dawn held the gum in front of Andrew’s face and waited until he looked at it • Then she immediately gave him the gum • After 2 weeks, he reliably looked at the gum when she held it in front of his face

5. Before Andrew has no gum Behavior Initial: Andrew moves his lips After Andrew has gum Next Step • Dawn waited until Andrew moved his lips slightly before giving him the gum • After he was doing this reliably, she waited until he made a sound before giving him the gum

6. Behavior Intermediate: Andrew makes croaking sound After: Andrew has gum Before: Andrew has no gum Behavior Intermediate: Andrew moves his lips After: Andrew has no gum Differential Reinforcement

7. Terminal Behavior • Then Dawn prompted him to say “gum gum” • His croaking sound faintly resembled “gum” • Dawn immediately reinforced this response • She then reinforced closer and closer approximations to the word “gum”

8. Behavior Terminal: Andrew says gum After: Andrew has gum Before: Andrew has no gum Behavior Intermediate: Andrew makes croaking sound After: Andrew has no gum Differential Reinforcement

9. Results • Andrew clearly said, “Gum, please,” after 6 weeks of this intervention. • After that day he would answer any question Dawn asked. • He also chatted with his nurse outside of therapy sessions.

10. Analysis • Because he didn’t talk, everyone assumed he couldn’t. • So they interpreted his gestures and signs. • When 2 responses produce the same reinforcers, we tend to do the one needing the least effort. • But the contingencies changed when Dawn required more and more effortful vocal and verbal behavior before she delivered the reinforcer.

11. Shaping with Reinforcement Operant Level: • The frequency of responding before reinforcement. • Terminal Behavior: • Behavior not occurring in the repertoire or not occurring at the desired frequency; the goal of the intervention.

12. What is Initial Behavior? Initial Behavior: • Behavior that resembles the terminal behavior • along some meaningful dimension • and occurs at least with a minimal frequency.

13. What is Intermediate Behavior? Intermediate Behavior: • Behavior that more closely approximates the terminal behavior.

14. So What is Shaping with Reinforcement? Shaping with Reinforcement: • The differential reinforcement of only the behavior • that more and more closely resembles the terminal behavior.

15. When do you use shaping? • When you want to bring about new responses. • Reinforce the initial behavior until it occurs frequently. • Then abandon that response. • Select and differentially reinforce another response that approximates the terminal behavior. • Continue until the terminal behavior occurs, and reinforce it until it occurs frequently.

16. Behavior Initial: Andrew moves lips Intermediate: Makes croaking sound Terminal: Says words clearly After: Andrew has gum Before: Andrew has no gum Behavior Initial: Not applicable Intermediate: Moves lips only Terminal: Says words unclearly After: Andrew has no gum Shaping Reinforcement

17. Example • Dicky, a boy with autism, needed glasses. • The glasses were aversive for Dicky, and he would not wear them. • Mont Wolf and his team of behavior analysts spent 2-3 20-minute sessions with Dicky in his room.

18. Procedure • They reinforced Dicky’s carrying his glasses, • bringing them closer and closer toward his face, • and actually putting them on. • A gradual shaping process.

19. Behavior Initial: Carries glasses Intermediate: Glasses near face Terminal: Puts on glasses After: Dicky has fruit or candy Before: Dicky has no candy or fruit Behavior Initial: Not applicable Intermediate: Only carries glasses Terminal: Glasses only near face After: Dicky has no candy or fruit Shaping Reinforcement

20. Is wearing glasses a behavior? • No. • It fails the dead man test. • So we talk about putting the glasses on or taking them off.

21. Results • After 30 minutes of shaping, Dicky was putting on the glasses properly and looking through the lenses at various toys. • Soon he put his glasses on any time they requested.

23. Example • 13-year old Melanie was aphonic. • She spoke in a low, raspy whisper • Behavior analysts used praise to shape the loudness of her vocal responses. • First they shaped breathing, then humming, then saying consonants, then reading, and finally conversing. • They helped her speak loudly and clearly. • During a 2-year follow up they realized her vocal responses were still loud and clear.

24. Behavior Initial: Converses lightly Intermediate: Converses moderately Terminal: Converses loudly After: Melanie gets praise Before: Melanie gets no praise Behavior Initial: Converses very lightly Intermediate: Converses lightly Terminal: Converses Moderately After: Melanie gets no praise Shaping with Reinforcement

25. Teaching Behavior Chains Malott, R. (2008) Principles of Behavior.

26. Example • Nancy had cerebral palsy • She was 5 years old, and had never walked, run, or stood • She did rise to her knees from time to time

27. What did the behavior analysts do to help Nancy? • They did a task analysis of walking • Nancy had to rise to her knees • Then rise to her feet • Then walk with a crutch • This is a behavioral chain

28. Intervention • Dawn began reinforcing Nancy rising to her knees • After she was reliably rising to her knees, Dawn only reinforced Nancy pulling herself to her feet • Then walking a few steps while holding onto a cabinet • Then she gave Nancy a harness to support her while she walked • She gradually reduced the support she gave Nancy

29. Results • Nancy was walking! • Dawn reduced the reinforcers • Finally, the normal reinforcers that reinforce walking were maintaining Nancy walking

30. SD Nancy stands Sr/SD Foot forward Behavior Moves left food Behavior Leans forward Sr/SD Body forward Behavior Raises crutch Sr/SD Nancy’s crutch up Behavioral Chain

31. What is a Behavioral Chain? Behavioral Chain: • A sequence of stimuli and responses • Each response produces a stimulus that • reinforces the preceding response • and is an SD or operandum • for the following response.

32. Example MO Sight of potatoes Sr/Oper. Fork in hand Behavior Pick up fork Behavior Put fork in potato Sr/SD Fork in potato Sr/SD Fork raised Behavior Raise fork Behavior Put potato in mouth

33. What are Dual-Functioning Chained Stimuli? Dual-Functioned Chained Stimuli: • A stimulus in a behavioral chain • reinforces the response that precedes it • and is an SD or operandum for the following response.

34. Example • The sight of the potatoes is a stimulus in the presence of which we pick up our fork. • The sight and feel of the fork reinforced picking it up • . • But at the same time, • the sight and feel of the fork also functions as an SD in the presence of which moving your hand near the potatoes will be reinforced.

35. And… • The sight and feel of the fork in the potatoes • reinforced moving the fork toward the potatoes. • At the same time, • the fork in the potatoes is an SD for raising them to your mouth.

36. What is Forward Chaining? Forward Chaining: • The establishment of the first link in a behavioral chain, • with the addition of successive links, • until the final link is acquired.

37. Example • Dawn taught Nancy to walk using forward chaining. • First she trained the first link in the chain (rising to knees), • then she trained the next link (rising to feet), • then finally she trained the final link in the chain (walking).

38. What is Total-Task Presentation? Total-Task Presentation: • The simultaneous training of • all links in a behavioral chain.

39. Example • Teaching adolescents with disabilities to brush their teeth. • The learners performed each of the 15 links in the behavioral chain of brushing teeth before starting over again. • The learner didn’t master one link before proceeding to the next one.

40. Procedure • The trainer told the learner to do the response in one of the links. • If that didn’t work, the trainer would model the response and maybe give physical guidance, • then they’d move to the next link in the chain. • The trainer praised the client each time he completed the response in a link of the chain (e.g., removing cap from the tube).

41. What is Backward Chaining? Backward Chaining: • The establishment of the final link in a behavioral chain, • with the addition of preceding links • until the first link is acquired.

42. Example • Arithmetic • First, do a task analysis of the process of multiplying 2 numbers. • Each response and the resulting number you write down is a link in the chain. • Completed Problem: 42 X 23 126 + 840 ???

43. Arithmetic Example • The final links are adding 126 + 840 and then writing down 966. • Then move backward to this set of links: 31 X 24 124 + ??? ???

44. Arithmetic Example • After the students have successfully gone through a number of problems involving these last 2 links in the chain, • they’re ready for problems involving the whole chain, starting with the first link: 67 X 89 ??? + ??? ???

45. Practice Behavior Chains • In a small group, create a task analysis for a skill (provided) • Determine whether you will use forward chaining, backward chaining, and/or total task presentation to teach your skill