A review of self modeling and related interventions

About 150 studies exist in print, examining the use of self modeling (mostl y in the video medium) in a variety of training and therapeutic application s. Evidently, two lines of thoughts have driven the development of these ap plications: (a) an extension of peer modeling or (b) a description of perso nal success. Studies report self-modeling interventions for physical skills (rehabilitation, sports), academic and vocational issues, communication, a nd personal and social adjustment. A wide range of ages (toddler to grandpa rent) and diverse developmental conditions have been addressed. The most fr uitful applications may be those that emphasize the image of future success -skills not previously attained and adaptive responses to a challenging con text. Rather than examine efficacy related to target "problems," this revie w identifies categories of application made possible by current knowledge a nd technology (e.g., use of hidden supports, selectively editing low-freque ncy behaviors). Seven such categories are identified and illustrated with d escriptions of interventions. The evidence is used to argue for the recogni tion of learning from the observation of one's own successful or adaptive b ehavior (or images of it) as a mechanism in its own right.