The generalization of vicarious extinction effects

Post-treatment tests for increases in snake approach behavior, shown by formerly snake phobic adults who had been treated with a participant modeling procedure or one of its derivatives, revealed a significantly greater degree of generalization of increases for Ss in a purely modeling condition than was found for those who had participated directly. Extinction data collected during the treatment process revealed similar reductions from direct and vicarious extinction. A very strong relationship was found between vicarious extinction in observers and the degree of generalization of snake approach behavior increases.