Modeling: An Effective Behavior Change Technique for Teaching Blind Persons

Abstract

The application of Bandura's modeling techniques in working with a legally blind male in a residential facility for the mentally retarded resulted in improved attitudes and behaviors. The client was a 38-year-old institutionalized male with severe feelings of anxiety who had previously rejected most efforts to provide teaching services and had avoided social and interpersonal encounters. Through the primary sensory modalities of audition and tactility he “observed” the model perform fear-arousing rehabilitative behavior and gradually learned to perform the behaviors himself. Apparent significant decreases in anxiety and increases in social and interpersonal interactions resulted. The description and implications of this case study should serve as a guide to others interested either in the direct application of modeling techniques or an effective method to help overcome clinically debilitating emotions in blind clients. The results suggest a need for an operational definition of “observation” in modeling theory to incorporate other sensory modalities than vision.