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Behavioral Interventions
Shaping
Shaping: Introduction
Shaping is used when a student needs to change a behavior to a more appropriate or new one.
Shaping involves teaching a student to demonstrate a desired behavior or task by reinforcing
successful approximations of the behavior. When using a shaping technique with a student each
approximate desired behavior that is demonstrated is reinforced, behaviors that are not an
approximation of the desired behavior are not reinforced. Through the use of reinforcing desired
behaviors the student will increase the desired behavior and eliminate or change the undesirable
behavior. The shaping technique is a part of the principles of applied behavioral analysis.
The technique of shaping begins with identifying behavior that the student needs to learn or
change. The target behavior should be clearly identified so that as the shaping technique is
implemented only the desired behavior is reinforced. Each step of the shaping technique should
bring the student closer to the final desired behavior. All adults who are involved in shaping
should be clearly trained on which behavior to reinforce and which behaviors to ignore. As the
small steps are shaped and reinforced, the student behavior will change or become what was
identified as the original desired behavior.
Paul likes to greet people when he sees them at school and in the community. His current method
of greeting is to reach out his hands and then grab the other person and give him or her a large
bear hug. His greeting style is not appropriate to use when meeting strangers. Paul’s family is
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also not comfortable with always having him hug them. Both the school staff and Paul’s parents
feel that he needs to learn a more appropriate style of greeting that could be used across settings
and people.
Shaping Technique
1. Choose the final behavior that the student should demonstrate.
2. Identify any small approximations of the desired behavior that the student currently
demonstrates.
3. Select the reinforcement(s) to be used.
4. Make sure that everyone working with the student knows which behavior to reinforce,
when to reinforce and how to reinforce.
5. If the student currently demonstrates an approximation, begin the process of reinforcing
each time the student demonstrates the desired behavior.
6. Collect data about the behavior.
7. Communicate with the team to discuss what the data are indicating about the behavior to
be changed. If the data indicate that the shaping technique is working, the team would
decide to begin to reinforce a closer approximation of the final behavior. If the data
indicate that the behavior is not changing, the team would analyze what they are doing
and make changes in the program.
8. Continue the program until the student demonstrates the appropriate behavior.
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Paul exhibits an initial desired behavior by extending his arms and hands prior to hugging the
other person. The teams decided that they could shape the arm’s extension behavior to make it
become the more desirable behavior of shaking hands. They identified a point in Paul’s greeting
process when adults needed to intervene between another adult and Paul to initiate a handshake
instead of a hug. The team also identified that Paul desires the sensory contact of a hug. They felt
that he could be seeking physical contact as a sensory issue. In order to provide Paul with that
sensory input, they decided that when Paul demonstrated the hand shaking behavior without a
hug, they would provide him with a tight handhold and a large motor shake between themselves
and Paul.
The program began with the school staff initiating greetings many times during the school day.
Each time they greeted Paul, they would extend their hand and grab his hand before he could hug
them. As they grabbed Paul’s hand, they said “hello,” held tightly to his hand and gave his arm a
large shake for 10 seconds. This began the process of shaping Paul’s behavior so that he would
extend his arms and initiate a handshake. Paul’s initial reaction to the shaping technique was to
smile and try to hug the other person. If the hug was initiated, the hand was immediately
dropped, the person looked away and as soon as the hug was over walked away without a
greeting. If Paul stopped at the hand shaking interaction, he was reinforced by continuation of
the handshake and conversation. Initial data were collected for hugging or hand shaking. The
team found that Paul was successful in learning to limit his hugging behavior. As the procedure
continued, the team generalized to handshaking in other environments with other team and
family members. Paul successfully demonstrated a change in his hugging behavior. He not only
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began to initiate an appropriate handshake so that he did not need adults to interrupt the hugging
behavior, but the intensity and duration of the handshake also decreased.
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Quiz
1. The shaping technique uses __________ to be successful.
Money
Food
Reinforcers
Nothing
2. When using the shaping technique, a team should:
Identify the desired end behavior
Collect data to evaluate success
Meet regularly to discuss data and progress
All of the above
3. The technique of shaping a behavior reinforces only the identified behavior.
True
False
References
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Alberto, P., & Troutman, A. (1999). Applied behavior analysis for teachers. Columbus, OH:
Prentice Hall.
Foxx, R. (1982). Increasing behaviors of persons with severe retardation and autism. Champaign,
IL: Research Press
Rogers, S. (1999). Intervention for young children with autism: From research to practice.
Infants and Young Children, 12(2), 1-16.