Behavior Rehearsal

Description of the Strategy

In the 1950s, what was termed behavioristic psychodrama was employed with certain clients who found it unusually difficult to apply assertive behaviors in their day-to-day relationships. Unlike the usual role playing and psychodrama of the day, in which patients acted out their existing attitudes, the aim was to enable the clients to stand up to people who evoked anxiety in them. The therapist would play the role of some person(s) with whom the client was timid or inhibited, the assumption being that appropriate remarks made during this “play” situation would be a stepping-stone toward dealing with the actual people and events. To achieve greater clarity, I introduced the term “behavior rehearsal” in 1966 and emphasized that it is a specific procedure that seeks to replace deficient or inadequate social and interpersonal responses with efficient and effective behavior patterns. Behavior rehearsal can be conducted with a therapist, a friend, or on one's own (e.g., practicing giving a speech in front of a mirror). In some instances, role reversal is an important component, wherein the therapist acts the part of the patient and models the desired verbal and nonverbal behaviors. The use of videos can be especially helpful in monitoring the mode of expression, including tone of voice, inflection, querulous undertones, hesitations, posture, and eye contact.

Research Basis

Behavior rehearsal has been applied successfully to various clinical populations (e.g., enabling alcoholic men to cope with problematic situations that tend to trigger excessive drinking, helping nonpsychotic depressed outpatient populations acquire better social skills). It has been implemented in couples therapy where the partners' distress is a result of poor communication styles. This method has also been tested in areas that fall outside the clinical arena. For example, there are many reports in which behavior rehearsal has been used with employees in business and industry (e.g., for managing difficulties with customers). Basically, behavior rehearsal is part of the general field of social skills training, and many different roleplaying techniques have been developed to enhance interpersonal effectiveness. Research in the area of “self-efficacy” has demonstrated a clear connection between people's perception of their own self-efficacy in given situations, the course of action they are likely to pursue, and the probability of success or failure. To be unrehearsed and unprepared is unlikely to lead to success. Many people fail in a variety of endeavors simply because they do not know how best to approach others, how to make assertive and not aggressive responses, and how to express their feelings appropriately and adaptively. Talking about these issues and offering good advice seems to produce little change. However, the specially focused role-playing procedures used in behavior rehearsal often prove efficient and effective.

Relevant Target Populations and Exceptions

Cognitive behavior therapy emphasizes that psychological problems may stem from misinformation (faulty reasoning, dysfunctional beliefs, erroneous ideas) and missing information (skill deficits, gaps in knowledge). Behavior rehearsal targets the second problem area, missing information. Clients who lack appropriate and effective responses in specific situations need to acquire the necessary skills. Take, for example, the case of a well-trained professional who is unable to get a good job because his interview skills are deficient, or a person who is at a loss for words when being unfairly criticized. Those are just two of innumerable instances where people suffer the consequences of response deficits. Thus, almost anyone [Page 52]who lacks a necessary skill may benefit from behavior rehearsal. Before venturing into any course of action, a person first needs to feel capable of success. As already stated, individuals' beliefs about their selfefficacy will determine whether they feel optimistic or pessimistic and whether or not it is advisable to expend effort in trying to achieve various goals. Perceived self-efficacy plays a major role in adaptation, coping, and change. Behavior rehearsal procedures can enhance self-efficacy by filling lacunae with knowledge and expertise to bypass needless failure. These findings include clinical situations, educational systems, business organizations, athletic teams, and even urban neighborhoods with violent crime.

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