Prompting and Modeling of Coping Strategies during Childbirth

Greenwald (2024) tested a phone app that pings laboring moms and their partners. Each ping shows a short video of upright coping moves like swaying or walking.

The app gave the prompts in real time during unmedicated labor. The team counted how often the moms moved and how many different moves they tried.

When the app pinged, moms and partners used more upright behaviors. They also tried a wider range of moves like rocking, squatting, and slow dancing.

The prompts worked right away and kept working without extra rewards.

Cox et al. (2017) used prompts plus a reward timer to teach kids with autism to lie still for an MRI. Both studies pair prompts with a second trick—video or rewards—to fit the setting.

Strain et al. (1977) showed that once women with ID learned weaving through prompts, they kept doing it without prizes. Greenwald saw the same thing: after the app taught the moves, moms kept moving without extra treats.

Thiessen et al. (2009) used a self-teach book to train college students to run DTT trials. Like the labor app, the book replaced a live coach with step-by-step cues.

You can use cheap tech to give real-time prompts for any adult skill—labor coping, staying still, or running trials. Load short videos or pictures on a tablet, set them to pop up when the skill should happen, and let the learner copy the clip. No staff needed after setup.