The Shaping Game

If you have worked in behavior analysis awhile, you are sure to hear the criticism at some point that applied behavior analysis is no different from animal training. That’s just silly. Of course, there are many, many differences between teaching humans versus training animals.

But there is an element of truth. There are some aspects of learning that have been shown to be universal across species. So, it doesn’t matter the organism that you are teaching. Some of the same teaching procedures can be useful.

I was lucky that one training I attended probably stole a game from the animal trainers–the shaping game. I’ve been using this game in training sessions for more than twenty years, and have found it to be an extremely useful in training staff and sometimes parents. When shaping a behavior, if you are off even one second on your timing of reinforcement delivery, you can lose a lot of the benefits of the treatment. But timing is difficult to practice. This game is an effective way to introduce the topic and get people started on learning this essential practice.

How to Play the Shaping Game:

  1. One person is sent out of the room and will be the learner.
  2. The group that is still in the room decides on something to “teach” the learner. No embarrassing tasks allowed.
  3. When the person comes in, there is only ONE person designated as the teacher. If you don’t explain this well, the whole group starts attempting to teach.
  4. The learner who left comes back in, and the teacher can only clap to provide reinforcement to the learner. No other teaching procedures allowed (e.g., prompting).
  5. Everyone in the room claps when the learner is successful.

A Few Tips for Trainers:

  1. The easiest to teach tasks are using an object in a typical way (e.g., sit in a chair, write with a pencil, or turn off a light switch). The tasks that are the hardest are multiple step tasks and using items in an atypical fashion (e.g., tape a pencil to the wall).
  2. It is generally better to start with difficult tasks at the start of the shaping game with experienced people who won’t get upset during the game. This can model several things for the group.
    • First, there is no expectation that the learner will get it quickly. It is often tempting to start with a simple demo, but this will mess things up later when people are unable to learn their tasks easily and get upset.
    • Second, experienced people can model that you have to move around and try things. The hardest person to teach is someone who just stands there and shrugs “I don’t know what to do.”
    • Third, this is a FUN game. There is no need to get frustrated; we are all learning.
  3. It is generally very helpful to point out the three critical features modeled in #2 after the first demo.
  4. Be sure to make the point that the feeling of not knowing what to do is how our students might feel frequently.
  5. A good shaping game trainer discusses the details of what happened during each round, specifically looking for opportunities to point out what happened when timing was off by just the slightest amount. You can always find them. Do this with humor, and you will create a memorable experience with insights that people will not forget.
  6. Sometimes, if someone is struggling, it is helpful to send the learner out of the room and do a live coaching session with the teacher about what they might do to Poogi their teaching. Common suggestions include increasing the frequency of reinforcement, intensity of reinforcement, or improving the way the skills are task-analyzed.
  7. As the trainer, be sure to take an opportunity to be a learner. People appreciate it and you can model appropriate trainer behaviors.

I have found that many people genuinely love to play the game, and are eager to participate to help train new staff. Granted, it is hard to measure whether it truly improves staff performance in actual work with children. But at least it gives you something to prompt when you are coaching a staff person. It seems helpful to be able to say something like, “Remember when we were playing the shaping game and…”

It’s up to you to decide whether or not you disclose that this activity was probably stolen from the animal trainers.

Behavior analytic services should only be delivered in the context of a professional relationship. Nothing written in this blog should be considered advice for any specific individual. The purpose of the blog is to share my experience, not to provide treatment. Please get advice from a professional before making changes to behavior analytic services being delivered. Nothing in this blog including comments or correspondence should be considered an agreement for Dr. Barry D. Morgenstern to provide services or establish a professional relationship outside of a formal agreement to do so. I attempt to write this blog in “plain English” and avoid technical jargon whenever possible. But all statements are meant to be consistent with behavior analytic literature, practice, and the professional code of ethics. If, for whatever reason, you think I’ve failed in the endeavor, let me know and I’ll consider your comments and make revisions, if appropriate. Feedback is always appreciated as I’m always trying to POOGI.
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