If you have ever had a dog, you have probably experienced operant conditioning firsthand. Think about when you housebroke your dog: How did you do it? You probably took the dog outside and waited for Fluffy to do her business. Then you praised her lavishly or gave her a dog treat. With more and more practice, Fluffy learned to associate doing her business outside with earning some sort of reward, which increased the likelihood of her engaging in that behavior outside in the future.

Shaping is a form of operant conditioning used to train animals to perform more complex tasks. The task is broken down into a series of smaller, simpler tasks, and the animal is rewarded for each step along the way until the final complex behavior is accomplished. For example, dolphins at a marine park might be trained to wave at a crowd with their tails. This complex behavior might be accomplished by rewarding the dolphin first for swimming to the side of the pool. After this step has been mastered, the dolphin might be rewarded for swimming to the side of the pool and turning upside down; then for swimming to the side of the pool, turning upside down, and sticking its tail out of the water; then for swimming to the side of the pool, turning upside down, sticking its tail out of the water, and moving its tail back and forth.

It's important to note that humans are also susceptible to shaping and operant conditioning. Ask your parents how they "housebroke" you. The story you hear will probably remind you a lot of Fluffy, although most of the drama probably took place inside rather than outside. In this activity, you will have the opportunity to shape the behavior of a virtual pet: you will teach Jingles the parakeet to ring a bell.