THIS SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM PROVIDES INFORMATION ON HOW TO USE PROPER SHAPING TECHNIQUES IN ILLUSTRATED NARRATIVE FORM; MULTIPLE CHOICE, FILL-IN, AND SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT, AND ANSWERS ARE PROVIDED. USERS SHOULD START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOKLET, WORK STRAIGHT THROUGH, WRITE ANSWERS AS DIRECTED, AND CHECK COMPLETED WORK. THE MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCEMENT ARE THAT IT MUST BE CONTINGENT UPON AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW A SPECIFIED BEHAVIOR. THESE PRINCIPLES ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO SHAPING TECHNIQUES, TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NECESSARY WHEN A DESIRED BEHAVIOR IS TOTALLY LACKING. A STEP-BY-STEP TECHNIQUE, SHAPING IS PERFORMED BY REINFORCING SMALL STEPS WHICH LEAD TO THE WHOLE BEHAVIOR. FOR EXAMPLE, IF GOOD GROOMING IS THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR BUT THE INMATE IS DIRTY AND UNTIDY, THE OFFICER SHOULD ENCOURAGE AND REINFORCE A SMALL ASPECT, SUCH AS HAIR COMBING OR BATHING. SUBSEQUENT IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE SIMILARLY REINFORCED AND FAILURE TO CONTINUE WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE IGNORED RATHER THAN PUNISHED. ONCE THE ENTIRE BEHAVIOR IS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, REINFORCEMENT ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS IS NOT NECESSARY. EACH SMALL STEP TOWARD THE WHOLE BEHAVIOR IS CALLED AN APPROXIMATION; REINFORCING AN APPROXIMATION WILL BRING THE TOTAL DESIRED BEHAVIOR CLOSER TO REALITY. SUCCESSFUL SHAPING REQUIRES ACCURATE APPROXIMATIONS; IF TOO MUCH IS REQUIRED TOO SOON SHAPING WILL FAIL. SKETCHES ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT. (LWM)