Videotape Self-Modeling in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Videotape self-modeling (VSM) used videotapes, with maladaptive behaviors removed via editing, to allow subjects to view themselves as they might behave in the future. Given the variable treatment success encountered in the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) literature, the search for additional treatment options was warranted. In this study four 9- to 10-year-old male subjects, diagnosed as ADHD, watched edited videotapes of themselves. Four behaviors were targeted for modification: fidgeting, distractibility, vocalization, and math performance. A four-phase, multiple-baseline design introduced the VSM treatment and titrated its removal over a 5 month period. Results indicate that VSM is an effective an durable modality for reducing behavioral symptoms and or increasing math productivity in grade school-age male children with ADHD. Further research is warranted to explicate the importance of modality-specific variables.