Final answer:
Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to reward successive approximations of a target behavior. It is effective in teaching complex behaviors by breaking them down into smaller achievable steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to teach behaviors by rewarding successive approximations of a target behavior. Instead of expecting the desired behavior all at once, it breaks it down into smaller achievable steps. For example, if the desired behavior is 'having a conversation,' you can start by reinforcing any response that resembles a conversation, then gradually reinforce responses that more closely resemble a conversation until the desired behavior is achieved.
In the context of teaching a child to clean his room, shaping could involve reinforcing steps such as cleaning up one toy, then five toys, then making choices about picking up more items, until finally the child cleans the entire room.
Shaping helps in teaching behaviors to both animals and humans and is effective in breaking down complex behaviors or chains of behaviors into manageable steps.