Ways to Alter Behavior
Shaping
Chaining
You cannot shape a behavior that does not happen.
Example of Not Shaping a Behavior
If a rat never presses the lever you cannot shape - increase or decrease the likelihood of the behavior.
Example of Shaping a Behavior
Training Procedures - Hot or Cold Game:
Example of Training Procedures - Hot or Cold Game:
Skinner shaped his daughter’s turn on the light behavior and a bowling pigeon: Every single time she moved her arm he would turn on the light and then turn it off. Until he got her to wave her arms around like a pigeon just to get him to turn on the light.
Example of Training Procedures - Hot or Cold Game:
Temper Tantrums: A parent that have their child do a little bit more and then shortly reward that behavior will increases temper tantrums. (Example of Contingency)
Over time will need to raise the standards for reinforcement or adjust how much you are giving the animal.
Example of Raising Standards for Reinforcement: Different amount of pellets for a part of the altering behavior you want to achieve.
How do these variations and selection (natural selection) apply to shaping behavior?
Variation in Behavior
Selection is Reinforcer #
Scenario of Shaping: How would you train a dog to retrieve the groceries you have delivered from your front porch?
Example of Chaining: Brushing Teeth
Chain of actions that lead to Brushing Teeth in a particular series.
Example of Chaining: Dancing
Chain of dance steps is learned to do a full dance
Task Analysis in Cheney Obstacle
Cheney Obstacle
2 Different Types of Training
Forward Training
beginning point to end point teach
Ex: ABC, ABCD
Backward Training
end point, beginning point teach
Ex: you learn Z end point first but always start with A
You need to already teach the animal to do a behavior.
How is chaining a form of shaping?
You are shaping each part of the chaining
After a period of time you need to shape each big chaining part.
Ex: Reinforce a rat to run straight to the ladder and then run up the ladder. #
Conclusion