THE EFFECTS OF REHEARSAL GROUP SIZE AND VIDEO FEEDBACK IN BEHAVIOR MODELING TRAINING

This study was done to assess the effects of the number of observers present during behavioral rehearsal (one or ten) and the presence or absence of videotaped replays of each rehearsal attempt on accurate reproduction of a model's performance. The study was done as part of a behavior modeling training program designed to teach college students eight key behaviors for doing on‐the‐job training. Thirty‐six students were drawn from two evening business school courses and randomly assigned to three experimental conditions (i.e., one observer/videotaped feedback, large group observing/videotaped feedback, and large group observing/no videotaped feedback) during the behavioral rehearsal portion of the program. This investigation revealed that the presence of one observer and videotaped feedback enhanced reproduction scores. Reproduction was measured by three different methods. Possible theoretical explanations for these results are discussed. Implications for the practice of behavior modeling are suggested.