Evaluating the Effectiveness of Shaping Versus Percentile Shaping for Canine Skill Acquisition.

Abstract

Shaping has been defined as the differential reinforcement of a series of successive approximations to a target behavior. To solve the issue of lack of precision and consistency, past research has used percentile shaping, a technique that uses preset guidelines to determine the advancement of the treatment for the subject. The present study examined the effectiveness of shaping versus percentile shaping to determine which technique facilitates faster skill acquisition for canines.