Shaping (in the context of operant conditioning) means

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Shaping refers to the process of reinforcing successive approximations to a behavior. This means that instead of waiting for a subject to exhibit the desired behavior, small steps that move in the direction of the desired behavior are reinforced until the subject has mastered the behavior. For example, if a trainer wants a dog to perform a complicated trick, she may begin by rewarding the dog for simply looking in the direction of the trick. Then, the trainer can gradually reinforce more complex behaviors until the dog can complete the entire trick.

Shaping (In the Context of Operant Conditioning) Means