Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to train complex behaviors by rewarding successive approximations toward the target behavior. This method is necessary because organisms are unlikely to perform complex behaviors spontaneously. Instead, shaping breaks down the desired behavior into small, manageable steps.

The steps involved in shaping begin with reinforcing any response that resembles the desired behavior. For example, parents might praise a child for picking up one toy. As the child begins to understand the expected behavior, the reinforcement is adjusted to responses that more closely resemble the desired behavior, such as increasing the number of toys picked up. In this case, the child might receive praise for picking up five toys instead of just one.

Stimulus discrimination is crucial in shaping as it ensures that only the correct behavior is reinforced. Pavlov's experiments with dogs, where they were conditioned to respond to a specific tone and not to similar sounds, illustrate this concept effectively. In human applications, shaping is used to teach complex tasks by breaking them into smaller, achievable steps.

For example, parents can use shaping to teach a child to clean their room. The process might start with the child cleaning up one toy, which is immediately reinforced. Next, the child is encouraged to clean up five toys, with reinforcement given for this increased effort. The steps progress with the child choosing between picking up ten toys or putting away books and clothes, each choice being reinforced. Eventually, the child is expected to clean everything except two toys and, finally, the entire room. Reinforcement is provided at each stage until the child can successfully perform the entire task.

This method of shaping allows for the gradual learning of complex behaviors via systematic reinforcement. This structured approach ensures that the child learns to perform the entire behavior correctly, promoting long-term success and mastery of complex tasks.