Process

Ms. van Dijk, 8-year-old Jan’s Dutch language education teacher in the Netherlands, and Ms. van Rennes, Jan’s mathematics teacher, targeted sitting in his seat during lectures as a desired behaviour for Jan during his studies and reading in general and special education settings, respectively. Ms. van Dijk suggested a shaping technique to teach seated behaviour after she had determined that Jan was remaining in his seat a mean of 2 minutes during Dutch language education.

They analysed approximations of the target behaviour and planned to reinforce those behaviours as follows: 

  • Reinforcing when Jan sits in his seat for about 3 minutes
  • Reinforcing when Jan sits in his seat for about 5 minutes 
  • Reinforcing when Jan sits in his seat for about 10 minutes
  • Reinforcing when Jan sits in his seat for about 15 minutes
  • Reinforcing when Jan sits in his seat for about 20 minutes (the targeted time)

Both Ms. van Dijk and Ms. van Rennes differentially reinforced Jan’s sitting behaviour in their classrooms based on their criterion of approximations for each phase. After six weeks, Jan acquired sitting behaviour in class.