Videotape Self-Modeling

Videotape Self-Modeling (VSM) is a treatment strategy in which people view videotapes of themselves showing only positive self-images of desired behaviors. The self-modeling tape is made via a staging and editing process. The child or adult then observes the video of him or herself performing the desired behavior at a level superior to current functioning.  VSM practitioners use these carefully planned and edited tapes to enhance the frequency and quality of a person's behavior or to develop wholly new behavioral repertoires.

Three decades of research and clinical practice has shown that VSM is effective in triggering a wide range of positive behavioral changes in children and adults with a variety of disabilities and limitations.  This research has shown that treatment gains produced by VSM occur rapidly and tend to generalize to other settings and closely related behaviors without additional programming.  Dr. Buggey, a VSM researcher, has noted that such results are seldom found when using traditional behavioral interventions to treat children or adults.

There are few, if any, positive behavioral changes that are not amenable to self-modeling.   Dr. Peter Dowrick, a VSM pioneer, has found that the only requirement is that the desired change is realistic and the change is something that the person perceives as desirable when viewing the self-modeling tape.  For these reasons, videotape self-modeling often succeeds where conventional treatment methods have failed. 

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