Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Tracy Masiello

Abstract

The inability to display social reciprocity is a hallmark criterion of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This lack of proper social skills (i.e., eye contact, cooperative play, and reciprocal interaction) indicates the importance of purposeful interaction, about which a research gap exists. The theoretical framework for this study was social learning theory, by which Bandura (1977) posited that learning occurs by observing the behavior of others. The current study involved examining the effectiveness of an intervention conducted with children who have ASD. The purpose of the intervention was to increase children’s playground social skills by having them watch themselves at play via video (i.e., video self-modeling [VSM]). Videos of three boys ages 5 to 10 years, who were nonverbal, diagnosed with ASD, and lacked social skills were observed. The number of times playground social skills (i.e., eye contact, cooperative play, and reciprocal action) were witnessed were recorded before and after the VSM intervention. Four research questions were examined to determine whether children with ASD exhibited a marked increase in playground social skills (i.e., eye contact, cooperative play, and reciprocal action) following VSM treatment. Specifically, the number of times the child interacted with another was tallied. Results revealed substantial improvement in the social skills of the children with ASD. The use of VSM in this population has implications for positive social change, as children with ASD could be better able to gain the social skills and tools necessary to interact with others. The results of this study could be used to support interventions for providers, further enhance the social skills of children with autism, and provide information to caregivers on how to best support their children and techniques they can use.

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