Shaping is a process in which successive approximations of a target behaviorBehavior refers to any activity or action that living o... are reinforced, gradually guiding the individual toward the desired behavior. Instead of waiting for the complete behavior to occur, small steps or improvements toward the final behavior are reinforced, encouraging progression.
Example
If a teacher is teaching a child to speak clearly, they might start by reinforcing any vocalization the child makes. Once the child consistently vocalizes, the teacher begins to reinforce only vocalizations that more closely resemble actual words. Eventually, the teacher only reinforces clear, intelligible words. Each successive step toward clearer speech is reinforced, leading to the full target behavior.