EMOTIVE PERFORMANCES - A TREATMENT PACKAGE FOR CHILDRENS PHOBIAS

The emotive performances treatment package, which combines in vivo des ensitization through games, participant modelling, and social and mate rial reinforcement of approach responses, is described. Fifteen childr en were treated, 6 girls and 9 boys, aged 4 to 8, who presented phobia s relating to the dark and loud noises, using multiple baseline design s across behaviors. Eight treatment sessions of 20 minutes duration we re carried out with two sessions per week. Results showed significant reductions in both phobias, maintained at 3 and 6-month follow-ups. Th e utility of these findings regarding the treatment of phobias of chil dren under the age of nine by this new therapeutic procedure is discus sed and future research is suggested.