Question

A member of your family never volunteers to wash the dishes after dinner. Explain how you might use shaping to teach dishwashing to this family member. Identify the reinforcer you would use, and describe your procedure in a step-by-step fashion.

Answer 1

It is a big question can dishwashing is fun? For those who have to do it whether they like it or not like our mother, it is a boring job, the same exercise every day.

It is psychologically proved that if a person is doing a job, and it is a routine to do it every day they want some help or they would like to have a break from it.

It is not an easy task to make someone take an interest in the work which he/she does not volunteer. Dishwashing is one of it; children would eat and leave the table, watch the TV shows, or engage themselves in other activities. Getting help at this time will be wonderful, but to make other's take interest in Dishwashing especially the kids is a difficult task.

The first step while making the other family member who does not take interest in dishwashing would be engaged the children/family member in conversation, make them stand with you while you are washing the dishes, put on a song that is soothing, and show that you are enjoying washing the dishes while listening to the music and conversing with the child/family member.

Then ask for little help like rinsing the plate while you go to do some other job like cleaning the table etc.

Tell the family members how you used to clean the dishes when you were young and it gives a good feeling when we are doing something that is related to our health, it keeps the kitchen clean and neat, and that gives a good feeling.

The dishwashing is done step by step like filling the sink with hot water, we can make the member feel the goodness of hot water, and using the detergent to clean the plate. Appreciate the member that she is doing a good job and helping.

The reinforcement would be a slow music that would engross the member and it would have psychological effect and thinking that dishwashing is a useless and boring job would get diverted towards listening to the music.

Appreciate her work and thanks to her for helping. Ask her to help again as it reduces the burden, and say by helping others we feel happy.

I can say helping is important and the habit of helping develops and sustain when we look at our family members their comfort and needs and willingly come forward to help from small work like dishwashing.