shaping
Shaping is a process in learning or behavior change where successive approximations toward a desired behavior are gradually reinforced. Instead of expecting a person or animal to perform a complex task all at once, they are rewarded for smaller steps that lead to the final goal. For example, teaching a dog to roll over starts with rewarding it for lying down, then for rolling onto its side, and finally for completing the roll. This method effectively guides individuals towards achieving more complex behaviors over time, fostering learning through gradual progress and positive reinforcement.
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Shaping is a psychological concept often used in behavioral training and learning. It involves gradually teaching a desired behavior by rewarding successive steps that lead toward that behavior. Instead of expecting the final behavior immediately, the trainer reinforces small improvements or approximations along the way. For example, when teaching a dog to roll over, you might first reward it for lying down, then for leaning over, and finally for completing the full roll. Over time, the cumulative rewards encourage the animal to perform the complete action, effectively shaping its behavior step by step.