1. USING SHAPING EFFECTIVELY CHAPTER 14 Meg Lipper Caldwell College

2. OVERVIEW Introduction Ethics of shaping Handling difficult people Develop the shaping habit Everyday behavior shaping Questions / Comments

3. SOURCES Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2010). 25 essential skills and strategies for the professional behavior analyst. New York, NY: Routledge.

4. “Shaping, shaping, always shaping” On a family trip to New York, a dad, after saying, “OK, I’ll take you to the American Girl doll store, but we’re not buying anything today,” gets out his platinum credit card and gives in to his begging 9-year-old daughter. Bailey & Burch, 2010 Florida Association of Behavior Analysis(FABA)

5. SHAPING 101 Know the laws of behavior They exist and operate regardless of your knowledge Be careful not to shape inappropriate behavior Be aware of accidental reinforcement Previous scenarios are examples of behavior analytic principles operating in which they are increasing the likelihood of the inappropriate behavior to occur again Bailey & Burch, 2010

7. ETHICS OF SHAPING “In the hands of a well-trained behavior analyst who has excellent professional skills, shaping can be a joy to behold.” Bailey & Burch, 2010

8. YOUR EXPERIENCS?? Personal or Professional Were you successful? What did you learn?

9. THE WELL-TRAINED BEHAVIOR ANALYST Confident Patient Prepared Focused Engages in conversation easily Smile and nod in agreement Pause and have neutral expression when necessary REMAINS CALM! Bailey & Burch, 2010

10. HANDLING DIFFICULT PEOPLE The Complainer, The Know-it-all, and The Drama Queen Causing difficulties for everyone around them The Behavior Analyst Doesn’t allow difficult individuals to get them angry WHY? We know and understand how behavior works We know the inappropriate behavior being seen is a result of the individuals past history We are well-trained and have the knowledge to shape behavior deliberately Bailey & Burch, 2010

11. WHO CAN SHAPE BEHAVIOR?? ANYONE! Accidently VS Deliberately Untrained VS Well-trained “Applying what you know about the basic principles of behavior to the people around you is in your, and their, best interest.” Bailey & Burch, 2010

12. SOME EXAMPLES

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N9GSBoMI

14. DEVELOP THE SHAPING HABIT Strengthen your skills! Start small Reinforce approximations at first 1-2 people; 1-2 behaviors for each person Bailey & Burch, 2010

15. KEEP IN MIND! Remember! We are not trying to produce new behaviors Increase the probability of a response More often At the right time Bailey & Burch, 2010

16. SHAPING AGREEMENT BEHAVIOR Break the ice Start with something that will promote head nodding Show empathy Provide comforting words Match and mirror behavior Sighs, head nods Relate a story “My experience has been…..”, “I was in a situation similar” Present your proposal carefully and slowly Reinforce signs of agreement (i.e. head nods, smiles, confirming comments) Bailey & Burch, 2010

17. DEVELOP YOUR SHAPING SKILLS Be on your toes, be prepared, & stay focused! Look out for signs of agreement “well I don’t know”  “Well, I guess” Provide reinforcement Signs of troublesome behavior Respond with “blank face” / no reaction Do not frown or shake head Remain neutral Wait a few seconds Return to proposal  smiling & nodding Bailey & Burch, 2010

18. DEVELOP YOUR SHAPING SKILLS Developing shaping skills Can be exhausting Takes time to perfect Once perfected Shaping will become an automatic habit A Good Habit! Bailey & Burch, 2010

19. EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR SHAPING Shaping parents as mediators Positive verbal praise Eye contact Nod and smile Provide immediate descriptive feedback Results Increase rate of correct responding Build confidence and self-assurance Bailey & Burch, 2010

20. EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR SHAPING Shaping can be powerful! Not only clients Bailey & Burch, 2010

21. IS IT ETHICAL OR APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO USE THE SKILLS YOU HAVE ACQUIRED ON SHAPING BEHAVIOR WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE??? Bailey & Burch, 2010

22. EVERYDAY BEHAVIOR SHAPING YES! The application and effect of shaping can be extremely powerful if done correctly. Goals must be honorable and justifiable Don’t promote your own agenda Remain ethical Select behaviors that are within the individuals best interests Bailey & Burch, 2010

23. THE EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR ANALYST LET’S REVIEW Develop prerequisites for shaping Look for behaviors to reinforce Ignore negative feedback Change the subject if inappropriate comments or jokes are being made Don’t maintain the problem by saying “That’s OK” Guess what?? ITS NOT OKAY! Bailey & Burch, 2010

24. SUMMARY As behavior analysts we can influence the behavior of people in which we come in contact with We can systematically shape others (difficult individuals) behavior by ways of being able to identify effective reinforcers and deliver them at crucial times to ensure they will have the maximum effect. Always remain CALM & PATIENT in order to be successful As behavior analysts we are trained to know the laws of behavior Bailey & Burch, 2010

25. ADDITIONAL READINGS Bloch, J. P. (2005). Handling difficult people. Avon, MA: Adams Media. Sutherland, A. (2008). What Shamu taught me about life, love, and marriage. New York: Random House.

26. REFERENCES Bailey, J., & Burch, M. (2010). 25 essential skills and strategies for the professional behavior analyst. New York, NY: Routledge

27. QUESTIONS / COMMENTS