Principles of Behavior Sixth Edition

1. Principles of BehaviorSixth Edition Richard W. Malott Western Michigan University Power Point by Nikki Hoffmeister

2. Chapter 8 Shaping

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, the autistic boy, 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. What is Shaping with Punishment? Shaping with Punishment: • The differential punishment of all behavior except that which more and more closely resembles the terminal behavior.

26. Example • Juke taught himself how to do a headstand. • He started with his legs over his head, leaning against a wall. • Once he could hold his feet against the wall for 1 minute, he raised the criterion. • He tried to stand on his head without touching the wall; but he fell. • But he got better and better.

27. What was the contingency? • Both shaping with reinforcement, • Right moves caused him to feel good about himself • and shaping with punishment. • Wrong moves caused him to fall or almost fall • As with all punishment contingencies, the general response class needs some history of reinforcement. • Some reinforcement needed to maintain Juke’s standing on his head or the punishment of falling would suppress all efforts

28. Example • Little Rod was in his crib • His favorite toy, a rattle, is in the far corner • He squirms toward it and finally scores • During the next few weeks he gets better at squirming • The squirm evolved into a crawl • His crawl evolved into a toddle, and then a walk

29. Behavior: Rod squirms forcefully After: Rod has a rattle in his hand Before: Rod has no rattle in his hand Behavior: Rod does a weak squirm After: Rod has no rattle in his hand Differential Reinforcement

30. Behavior Initial: Forceful Intermediate: Very forceful Terminal: Super forceful After Initial: Rattle in 10 seconds Intermediate: Rattle in 6 seconds Terminal: Rattle in 4 seconds Before: Rod has no rattle in his hand Behavior Initial: Weak force Intermediate: Forceful Terminal: Very forceful After Initial: No rattle Intermediate: Rattle in 10 seconds Terminal: Rattle in 6 seconds Shaping Along the Force Dimension

31. Natural Shaping • The natural environment differentially reinforced squirming • Force was the response dimension • Rod got the reinforcing rattle only if he squirmed with sufficient force • The more forcefully Rod squirmed, the more quickly he got to the rattle • Getting to the rattle quickly is more reinforcing than getting it slowly

32. Behavior Initial: Rod squirms Intermediate: Rod toddles Terminal: Rod runs After Initial: Rattle in 4 seconds Intermediate: Rattle in 2 seconds Terminal: Rattle in 1 seconds Before: Rod has no rattle in his hand Behavior Initial: Weak squirm Intermediate: Rod squirms Terminal: Rod toddles After Initial: Rattle in 10 seconds Intermediate: Rattle in 4 seconds Terminal: Rattle in 2 seconds Shaping Along the Topography Dimension

33. What is Fixed-Outcome Shaping? Fixed-Outcome Shaping: • Shaping that involves • no change in the value of • the reinforcer, • or aversive condition, • as the performance criterion more and more closely resembles the terminal behavior.

34. What is Variable-Outcome Shaping? Variable-Outcome Shaping: • Shaping that involves a change in the value of • the reinforcer, • or aversive condition, • as performance more and more closely resembles the • terminal behavior.

35. Example: Fixed-Outcome Shaping