Week 6 Flashcards
(24 cards)
Shaping
The development of a new operant behavior by the reinforcement of successive approximations of that behavior and the extinction of earlier approximations of that behavior until the new behavior occurs
The Shaping Process
- Begin by reinforcing a behavior that sometimes occurs and is at least remotely similar or related to the final target behavior
- When the initial behavior is occurring regularly, stop reinforcing it and start reinforcing a behavior that is slightly closer to the target behavior
- Continue until the final target behavior is performed
First Dimension of Behavior That Can Be Shaped
Topography
* Reinforcement of increasingly more precise or refined forms of the target behavior
Second Dimension of Behavior That Can Be Shaped
Frequency
* Reinforcement of increasing/decreasing (as appropriate) amount of target behavior
Third Dimension of Behavior That Can Be shaped
Duration
* Reinforcement of increasing/decreasing (as appropriate) length of time spent engaging in the behavior
Fourth Dimension of Behavior That Can Be Shaped
Latency
* Reinforcement of increase/decrease (as appropriate) time between the occurrence of a stimulus and performance of the target behavior
Fifth Dimension of Behavior That Can Be Shaped
Intensity
* Reinforcement of increase/decrease (as appropriate) in degree of force used to execute the target behavior
First Factor Influencing the Effectiveness of Shaping
Specify the Final Target Behavior
* Be clear and specific in determining the terminal behavior (aka goal)
Second Factor Influencing the Effectiveness of Shaping
Choose the Starting Behavior
* Select a behavior that occurs often enough to be reinforced during instruction
* Select a behavior that approximates the terminal behavior
Third Factor Influencing the Effectiveness of Shaping
Choose the Shaping Steps
* Outline the successive approximations that will be reinforced
Fourth Factor Influencing the Effectiveness of Shaping
Pacing
* Reinforce an approximation at least several times before proceeding to the next step
* Don’t reinforce one approximation for too long before moving on
* If you move too quickly or take too large a step, go back to an earlier (successful) approximation
* Insert an extra step or reinforce more approximations before moving on
Pitfalls of Shaping
- Accidentally reinforcing worsening of behavior
- Expect “perfection” too early, so not reinforcing appropriate approximations
- Not “raising the bar” (e.g., baby talk)
Behavior Chaining
- Consistent sequence of stimuli and responses that occur closely to each other
- Each response serves as a discriminative stimulus (SD) for the next response
- Each response serves as a conditioned reinforcer for the previous response
- Last response in the chain results in access to terminal reinforcer
- Sometimes called a stimulus-response chain
CONT
- A behaviour chain is comprised of several stimilus - Stimilus response connectons
- Each stimulus-response connection is a “link” that holds the chain together
- Strong stimulus-response connections result in effective behavior chains
- Weak stimulus-response connections result in ineffective behaviour chains
Strong Chains
STRONG Chains = Those things you do well (automatically)
* Doing laundry
* Cleaning the bathroom
Weak Chains
WEAK Chains = Those things you have not mastered to fluency
* Baking a cake
* Building an IKEA cabinet for the first time
Behavior Chain
Is an uninterrupted series of stimuli and responses that occur closely in time and for which each stimulus (except the last) is an SD for the next response
Behavior Sequence
- Is a collection of related tasks/activities/behaviors that have many breaks between them
- E.g., studying for an exam
Task Analysis
- Involves breaking down a task into its component steps
- Necessary when teaching a behavior chain
- We need to identify each step in the chain to make sure that we are teaching all of the steps
- A task analysis also allows for collection of baseline data
- We can determine what parts of the chain the individual can do and which parts of the chain the individual needs to learn
Using a Task Analysis to Assess Performance
- Baseline Level of Performance: To determine which steps in the chain the individual is able to do and unable to do
- Acquisition of Behavior Chain: To determine which steps the person has learned and how quickly the person is learning
- Alerts the practitioner of the need to alter the instructional program
- Maintenance and Generalization: To determine if the individual maintains skill over time and uses the skill in natural settings
First Method of Teaching a Behavioral Chain
Total task presentation
* An individual attempts all of the steps of the task from the beginning to the end of the chain on each trial
* Prompting is provided at each step, as needed
* Reinforce each correct step
Second Method of Teaching a Behavioral Chain
Backward Chaining
* Teach the last step in the chain first, then the next to last, and so on
* Reinforce at the end of the sequence only
* Add each new step when previous steps are correct and unprompted
Third Method of Teaching a Behavioral Chain
Forward Chaining
* Teach the first step in the chain first, then the next, and so on
* Reinforce at the end of the sequence only
* Add each new step when previous steps are correct and unprompted
5 Factors Influencing the
Effectiveness of Behavior
Chaining
- Task Analysis
- Independent Use of Prompts by Learners
- A Preliminary Modeling Trial
- Training the Behavior Chain
- Ample Social and Other Reinforcers
