Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Lecture 13 Page: 1

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THEAPY

LECTUE 13

CHAPTER 9
Shaping

I. Shaping is a technique used to develop a target behavior that a

person does not currently exhibit. Shaping is defines as the
differential reinforcement of successive approximations of a target
behavior until the person exhibits the target behavior.
a. Differential reinforcement requires that one behavior is
reinforced and all other behaviors are not reinforces in a
particular situation.
b. Successive approximations or shaping steps as specific defined
behaviors that establish the guidelines for differential
reinforcement.
c. Movement through the shaping steps occurs when the most
advanced behavior in she shaping steps is reinforced, but all
previous behaviors in the shaping steps are not reinforced.
d. The effectiveness of shaping is greatly influences by the skill
one demonstrates in defining the shaping steps. If the steps are
too small then the process of shaping will be very lengthy and
tedious, but if the shaping steps are too large the subject may
never exhibit the next successive behavior and shaping becomes
stalled.
e. Steps of Shaping
i. Define the target behavior
ii. Determine if shaping is the most appropriate procedure
iii. Identify the starting behavior
iv. Choose the shaping steps
v. Choose the reinforcer to use in the shaping procedure
vi. Differentially reinforce each successive approximation
vii. Move through the shaping steps at a proper pace (master
one approximation before move to the next)
II. Shaping of Problem Behaviors
a. Problem behaviors may be developed through shaping. In this
case successive approximation of a behavior that is not
beneficial to the person are reinforced. (we discussed this
previously when talking about problems with extinction in
connection to extinction’s capacity to produce novel behaviors)
 CHAPTER 10
Prompting and Transfer of Stimulus Control

I. Prompting: Prompts are used to increase the likelihood that a

person will engage in the correct behavior at the correct time. They
are used during discrimination training to help the person engage
in the correct behavior in the presence of the discriminative
stimulus (SD)
II. Fading is one way to transfer stimulus control from the prompts to
the SD. This occurs by gradually removing the prompts until the
behavior occurs in the presence of the SD without any
supplemental stimuli.
III. Types of Prompts
a. Verbal Prompts: verbal behavior of another person results in the
correct response in presence of the SD.
b. Gestural Prompts: A physical movement or gesture of another
person that leads to the correct behavior in the presence of an
SD.
c. Modeling Prompts: Any demonstration of the correct behavior
by another person that makes it more likely that the correct
behavior will occur in the presence of an SD.
d. Physical Prompts: When another person physically helps the
person to engage in the correct behavior in the presence of an
SD. (This is also called physical guidance)
IV. Stimulus Prompts: involves some change in stimulus, or the
addition or removal of stimulus, to make a correct response more
likely. A stimulus prompt might involve a change in the SD or a
change in the S-delta S∆.
a. Within-stimulus prompt: when you change the salience of an SD
or S∆. Changing the salience of a prompt is a change in some
dimension of the prompt (size, shape, color, or intensity)
b. Extrastimulus prompts: adding a stimulus to help a person more
a correct discrimination
V. Transfer of Stimulus Control
a. Prompt Fading is the most commonly used method of
transferring stimulus control. With prompt fading, a response
 prompt is removed gradually across learning trials until the
prompt is no longer provided.
b. Prompt Delay: another method to transfer stimulus control from
a response prompt to the natural SD is to wait a certain number
of seconds and then if the correct response is not made, you
provide the prompt.
VI. Stimulus Fading: this procedure is connected to changing a
dimension of an SD to help a correct response to occur. Eventually
the stimulus prompt must be removed to transfer stimulus control
to the naturally occurring SD.
VII. How to Use Prompting and Transfer of Stimulus Control
a. Choose the most appropriate prompt strategy
b. Get the learners attention
c. Present the SD.
d. Prompt the correct response
e. Reinforce the correct behavior
f. Transfer stimulus control
g. Continue to reinforce unprompted responses.

APPLICATION OF BEHAVIORAL PRINCIPLES IN A

THERAPUETIC SETTING

I. Reductionism in Behavioral Modification Therapy and the

selection of the most effective level for an intervention.
A. Behavior modification principles are based on a principle of
reductionism, and in particular are focused on the mechanics of
how behaviors occur.
B. People live their lives based on strategies, and thus if one
becomes too on the mechanics the intervention may appear
tedious or irrelevant.
C. One shifts from a strategy to the mechanics based on when
people become stuck in the application of the strategy.
1. How do things work?
2. Why is the general strategy not being successful?
3. Reasonable analysis (behavior or otherwise) of the
situation.
4. Key component here is to discover which factor all of the
potential factors impinging on a problem carries the
greatest weight (co-variance) to the problem.
 D. Develop and then use a well developed strategy for problem
solving.
E. I Propose a six (seven) step approach
1. Develop a problems solving attitude. In particular you
need to confront feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
2. Define the problem in specific and concrete terms.
Remember the 80/20 rule in that when people first
discuss a problem they often report a great deal of
extraneous material (emotional venting) that really has
nothing to do with what the problem is. Thus 20% of the
material presented will constitute the core (80%) of the
material really relevant to the problem.
3. Engage in a process of brain storming, consider all of the
possible solution and try to look at the problem and
potential solutions based on what you know in terms of
each of the three key component in behavioral theory
Antecedents, Behaviors and Consequences.
4. Do a cost benefit analysis of each of the proposed
solutions and select the solution that appears to have the
best cost benefit ratio
5. Implement the solution
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
7. If the solution was less effective than hoped return to
step-2
II. Historically, application of Behavioral Interventions have had less
success than research would predict because of an over emphasis
on the theory, and an under emphasis on the relationship.
A. Common Factor Theory–There has been numerous studies that
have looked at positive therapy outcomes independent of
theoretical orientation of the therapist. The outcome of these
studies was to identify the elements of therapy (not tied to a
particular theory) that are most strongly associated with a
positive treatment outcome.

B. FIVE FACTORS
1. Therapeutic relationship
2. expectations of therapeutic success
3. confronting or facing the problem
4. provision of an experience of mastery or cognitive
control
5. attribution for therapeutic success and failure