Shaping & Chaining Flashcards
What is Shaping?
Reinforcing successive approximations of desired bx until person exhibits target bx
What are the steps to using shaping?
- Define the target behavior.
- Determine whether shaping is the most appropriate procedure.
- Indentify the starting behavior.
- Choose the shaping steps.
- Choose the reinforce.
- Differentially reinforce successive approximations.
- Move through the shaping steps at a proper pace.
Explain the process of shaping
• Reinforce starting bx until it occurs reliably, then stop reinforcement
• When you stop reinforcing the behavior, as part of the subsequent extinction burst, novel behaviors typically begin to appear. Novel bx can also be prompted
• Start reinforcing a novel behavior that is a closer approximation
• The process of differential reinforcement (reinforcement of a closer approximation and extinction of a previous approximation) continues until the person finally exhibits the target behavior
What are applications of shaping?
-Generating novel bx
-Reinstating a previously exhibited bx
-Changing some dimension of existing bx
What is a behavioral chain?
-A complex behavior consisting of many component behaviors that occur together in a sequence
-Also called stimulus response chain
What is task analysis?
the process of analyzing a behavioral chain by breaking it down into its individual stimulus-response components
Ways to conduct task analysis
-observe competent person engage in the task
-ask an expert
-perform the task yourself and record sequence
What are the types of chaining procedures?
-Backward chaining
-Forward chaining
-Total task presentation
-Written task analysis
-Picture prompts
-Video modeling
-Self-instructions
Similarities between forward and backward chaining
• Both are used to teach a chain of behaviors.
• To use both procedures, you first have to conduct a task analysis that breaks down the chain into stimulus-response components.
• Both teach one behavior (one component of the chain) at a time and chain the behaviors together.
• Both procedures use prompting and fading to teach each component.
Differences between Forward Chaining and Backward Chaining
• Forward chaining teaches the first component first, whereas backward chaining teaches the last component first.
• With backward chaining, because you teach the last component first, the learner completes the chain in every learning trial and receives the natural reinforcer in every learning trial. In forward chaining, the learner does not complete the chain in every learning trial; artificial reinforcers are used until the last component of the chain is taught. The natural reinforcer occurs after the last behavior of the chain.
What is total task presentation?
The complex chain of behaviors is taught as a single unit
When do you use total task presentation?
When the chain is not complex or learner is already experienced in similar tasks
What is graduated guidance?
-type of physical prompting (commonly used with TTP)
-Hand over hand guidance
-over trials use less and less assistance under you shadow
Similarities between Forward and Backward Chaining and Total Task
Presentation
• They are all used to teach complex tasks or chains of behavior.
• A task analysis must be completed before training with all three procedures.
• Prompting and fading are used in all three procedures.
Difference between Forward and Backward Chaining and Total Task
Presentation
• In total task presentation, the learner is prompted through the entire task in each learning trial.
• In the two chaining procedures, the trainer teaches one component of the chain at a time and then chains the components together.
