An examination of the effectiveness of videotaped self-modeling in teaching specific linguistic structures to preschoolers

Videotaped self-modeling (VSM) has been developed as a means to allow participants to view themselves in situations where they are performing at a more advanced level than they are presently functioning in their natural environment; VSM has been used effectively to train positive behaviors and to decrease negative behaviors across a wide range of ages and behaviors; however, studies of VSM use With preschoolers and in the training of language behaviors has been sparse. The present study was designed to analyze the effects of VSM on the acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of the contractible copula is with preschool children with delayed language. The results indicated that the three children included in the study made obvious gains in acquiring the target behavior and applied the behavior in normal conversational use. The gains made during intervention were maintained through a follow-up phase. The findings suggest that VSM may represent a new cost- and time-efficient technique for training language skills with preschoolers.