{"id":533,"date":"2023-03-03T19:13:09","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/8-3-3-learn-it-shaping\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T04:49:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T04:49:35","slug":"8-3-3-learn-it-shaping","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/8-3-3-learn-it-shaping\/","title":{"raw":"Reinforcement: Learn It 1\u2014Shaping","rendered":"Reinforcement: Learn It 1\u2014Shaping"},"content":{"raw":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Define shaping<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Understand the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Distinguish between interval reinforcement schedules<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Distinguish between ratio reinforcement schedules<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2 data-type=\"title\">Shaping<\/h2>\r\n<p>In his operant conditioning experiments, Skinner often used an approach called shaping.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>shaping<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Shaping is the process of rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Reinforcement works only if the organism already performs some version of the behavior. But many behaviors\u2014writing an essay, playing a sport, or training an animal\u2014don\u2019t appear all at once. Shaping breaks the behavior down into manageable steps, and each step is reinforced as the learner gets closer to the final goal.<\/p>\r\n<h3><b>How Shaping Works<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Skinner outlined a clear sequence:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Reinforce any behavior<\/span> that resembles the target behavior.<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Reinforce behaviors that more closely resemble<\/span> the target behavior; stop reinforcing earlier steps.<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Continue to <\/span>reinforce increasingly accurate approximations<span class=\"s1\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Reinforce only the final, desired behavior<span class=\"s1\"> once it reliably appears.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>Skinner used shaping to teach pigeons not only such relatively simple behaviors as pecking a disk in a Skinner box, but also many unusual and entertaining behaviors, such as turning in circles, walking in figure eights, and even playing ping pong; the technique is commonly used by animal trainers today.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox watchIt\" aria-label=\"Watch It\">\r\n<p>Shaping is often used in teaching a complex behavior or chain of behaviors. Here is a brief video of Skinner\u2019s pigeons playing ping pong.<iframe src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=1793462&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=573&amp;video_id=vGazyH6fQQ4&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-93dm31ev-vGazyH6fQQ4\" width=\"800px\" height=\"500px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><br \/>\r\nYou can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Psychology\/Transcriptions\/BFSkinnerFoundationPigeonPingPongClip.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for \"BF Skinner Foundation - Pigeon Ping Pong Clip\" here (opens in new window)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\r\n<h3><b>Examples of Shaping<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Children cleaning their room:<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Step 1: Pick up one toy \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Step 2: Pick up five toys \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Step 3: Choose between putting away books or clothes \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Step 4: Clean everything except two toys \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Step 5: Clean the entire room \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><b style=\"font-family: 'Public Sans', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">College-life example:<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"p2\">A student procrastinates writing a 10-page paper. A shaping plan might reinforce:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Opening the document<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Writing the first paragraph<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Writing one page<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Completing the full draft<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\">Submitting the final paper<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Shaping often works hand-in-hand with <span class=\"s2\"><b>stimulus discrimination<\/b><\/span>, helping learners respond to the correct cue (e.g., responding to a trainer\u2019s whistle but not similar sounds).<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<div data-type=\"note\" data-label=\"Link to Learning\">\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"350\"]4227[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Define shaping<\/li>\n<li>Understand the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers<\/li>\n<li>Distinguish between interval reinforcement schedules<\/li>\n<li>Distinguish between ratio reinforcement schedules<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2 data-type=\"title\">Shaping<\/h2>\n<p>In his operant conditioning experiments, Skinner often used an approach called shaping.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>shaping<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Shaping is the process of rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"p1\">Reinforcement works only if the organism already performs some version of the behavior. But many behaviors\u2014writing an essay, playing a sport, or training an animal\u2014don\u2019t appear all at once. Shaping breaks the behavior down into manageable steps, and each step is reinforced as the learner gets closer to the final goal.<\/p>\n<h3><b>How Shaping Works<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Skinner outlined a clear sequence:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Reinforce any behavior<\/span> that resembles the target behavior.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Reinforce behaviors that more closely resemble<\/span> the target behavior; stop reinforcing earlier steps.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Continue to <\/span>reinforce increasingly accurate approximations<span class=\"s1\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Reinforce only the final, desired behavior<span class=\"s1\"> once it reliably appears.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Skinner used shaping to teach pigeons not only such relatively simple behaviors as pecking a disk in a Skinner box, but also many unusual and entertaining behaviors, such as turning in circles, walking in figure eights, and even playing ping pong; the technique is commonly used by animal trainers today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox watchIt\" aria-label=\"Watch It\">\n<p>Shaping is often used in teaching a complex behavior or chain of behaviors. Here is a brief video of Skinner\u2019s pigeons playing ping pong.<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/plugin.3playmedia.com\/show?mf=1793462&amp;p3sdk_version=1.10.1&amp;p=20361&amp;pt=573&amp;video_id=vGazyH6fQQ4&amp;video_target=tpm-plugin-93dm31ev-vGazyH6fQQ4\" width=\"800px\" height=\"500px\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nYou can <a href=\"https:\/\/oerfiles.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/Psychology\/Transcriptions\/BFSkinnerFoundationPigeonPingPongClip.txt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">view the transcript for &#8220;BF Skinner Foundation &#8211; Pigeon Ping Pong Clip&#8221; here (opens in new window)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox example\" aria-label=\"Example\">\n<h3><b>Examples of Shaping<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Children cleaning their room:<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Step 1: Pick up one toy \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Step 2: Pick up five toys \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Step 3: Choose between putting away books or clothes \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Step 4: Clean everything except two toys \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Step 5: Clean the entire room \u2192 reinforcement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b style=\"font-family: 'Public Sans', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">College-life example:<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">A student procrastinates writing a 10-page paper. A shaping plan might reinforce:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Opening the document<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Writing the first paragraph<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Writing one page<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Completing the full draft<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Submitting the final paper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Shaping often works hand-in-hand with <span class=\"s2\"><b>stimulus discrimination<\/b><\/span>, helping learners respond to the correct cue (e.g., responding to a trainer\u2019s whistle but not similar sounds).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div data-type=\"note\" data-label=\"Link to Learning\">\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm4227\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=4227&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm4227&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"350\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":20,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"BF Skinner Foundation - Pigeon Ping Pong Clip\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"bfskinnerfoundation\",\"url\":\" https:\/\/youtu.be\/vGazyH6fQQ4\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":512,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"BF Skinner Foundation - Pigeon Ping Pong Clip","author":"","organization":"bfskinnerfoundation","url":" https:\/\/youtu.be\/vGazyH6fQQ4","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"Standard YouTube License"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/533"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7286,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/533\/revisions\/7286"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/512"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/533\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=533"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=533"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}