Creating Behaviors and Behavior Patterns

1
Creating Behaviors and Behavior Patterns

• Shaping and Chaining

2
Creating operant behavior

• For a behavior to be reinforced, it must occur to
  begin with
• However, we engage in many behaviors in our
  everyday lives that, at one point, were not in
  our behavioral repertoire
• Riding a bicycle, driving a car, baking a cake,
  etc
• How do such behaviors come about?

3
Shaping by Successive Approximations

• Shaping is a particular technique used to create
  a behavior that is not already occurring
• It uses positive reinforcement
• A reinforcer is delivered for behaviors that
  approximate the target behavior
• Gradually, reinforcement is provided for
  behaviors that more closely resemble the target
  behavior

4
EXAMPLE

• Most of us were taught to ride a bicycle using a
  shaping procedure
• First, we had a tricycle
• Second, we had a bicycle with training wheels
• Third, we had a bicycle without training wheels

5
Key points to this example

• First, we didnt move on to the next step unless
  the current one was mastered
• A kid that couldnt ride a tricycle was not given
  a bicycle
• Second, once the target behavior was achieved,
  the previous behaviors ceased to be reinforced
• Its unlikely that you would receive much
  reinforcement today if you were seen around town
  riding a tricycle

6
Tips for successful shaping

• Operationalize the target behavior
• Choose an appropriate reinforcer
• Inform the person of the terminal behavior
• Dont move on until the person has mastered the
  previous behavior
• Avoid not providing enough reinforcement
• Extinction may occur

7
Tips for successful shaping

• Avoid providing too much reinforcement
• Depending upon the chosen reinforcer, the person
  may become satiated or bored
• If training is interrupted, then resume
  reinforce-ment at the same step in the process
  when shaping continues
• Reinforcing a previous step teaches the organism
  to digress

8
Behavioral Chaining

• Chaining is employed when an entire sequence of
  behavior is required
• For example, baking a cake does not result from a
  single behavior. Rather, it is the outcome of
  many behaviors starting with obtaining the
  ingredients and ending with removing the baked
  cake from the oven at the proper time

9
Types of Chaining Procedures

• Forward Chaining
• Starts training with the first behavior in the
  sequence
• Subsequent steps are then added
• Backward Chaining
• Start training with the terminal behavior
• Preceding steps are then added
• Total-task Presentation
• The entire sequence of behaviors is required for
  reinforcement

10
An example of Forward Chaining

• Most of us were taught to tie our shoes using a
  forward-chaining procedure
• Step 1 flip one of the laces over the other
• Step 2 pull the end of the top lace under the
  other
• Step 3 etc
• Reinforcement is provided at the last step
• More steps are required in subsequent sessions

11
An example of Backward Chaining

• Most of us were taught to drive using the
  equivalent of a backward chaining procedure
• We were taught how to use the brake before we
  were taught how to make the car go very fast
• Toilet training is often accomplished using
  backward chaining
• Children are often taught to use the toilet
  before being trained to ask to use the toilet

12
Examples of Total-task Presentation

• There are many examples of total-task
  presentation
• Mopping
• Vacuuming
• Cooking (for most of us)
• Teaching (for some of us)

13
Choosing the correct procedure

• Use forward chaining when
• The steps early in the sequence are easily
  mastered
• Use backward chaining when
• The terminal behavior is critical
• Remember our example of the brakes on the car
• The terminal behaviors are more easily mastered

14
Choosing the correct procedure

• Use total-task presentation
• When it is reasonable to expect the entire to be
  performed without forward or backward chaining
• For example, this technique would not be a good
  one when trying to teach someone how to swim
• You want to maximize the independence of the
  learner
• You want to maximize the independence of the
  behavior analyst

15
Which procedure works the best?

• The research indicates that there is not one
  universally superior method
• In fact, on most tasks, the results are
  equivalent across all three procedures
• With this fact in mind, total-task presentation
  will often be the best choice
• Minimizes time
• Minimizes the use of reinforcement

16
Whats the difference between shaping and
chaining?

• Shaping is used to create a behavior that is not
  currently occurring
• Although certain behaviors are reinforced along
  the way, they are not necessarily reinforced
  later
• Chaining is stringing together behaviors that are
  all necessary
• These behaviors may already be occurring
  discretely