What does "shaping" mean?

1. (giving form or influence) the act of giving something a specific shape, character, or direction. 2. (behavioral training) a way of teaching a new skill by rewarding every small step toward the final goal.

How do you use "shaping"?

Often used as an uncountable noun in behavioral contexts.

shaping

US //ˈʃeɪpɪŋ// UK //ʃˈeɪpɪŋ// shap·ing

1 giving form or influence (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of giving something a specific shape, character, or direction.

the process of influencing the development or form of something, whether physical or abstract.

Example

The shaping of the new law took many months of debate.

Example

The shaping of public opinion was heavily influenced by the media's framing of the economic crisis during the election cycle.
2 behavioral training (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Psychology

a way of teaching a new skill by rewarding every small step toward the final goal.

a method of training by which successive approximations of a target behavior are reinforced.

Example

The trainer used shaping to teach the dog how to open the door.

Example

Through the process of shaping, the therapist helped the patient gradually overcome their social anxiety by reinforcing increasingly complex interactions.

Usage

Often used as an uncountable noun in behavioral contexts.
- successive approximation

Etymology 1

From Middle English schapynge, equivalent to shape + -ing.

Etymology 2

From Middle English shapinge, shapende, schapende, schappande, from Old English sċyppende, sċeppende, from Proto-West Germanic skappjandī, from Proto-Germanic skapjandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *skapjaną (“to form, shape, create”), equivalent to shape + -ing.