As a child DeVore had polio. He was able to overcome its debilitating effects through a physical therapy program based on modeling—watching others walk and then mentally replaying the images of walking in is imagination.

At age nineteen, DeVore utilized this modeling method to master the Finnish language, the most difficult language for English speakers to learn.

Later, while in college, he experienced the power of modeling in athletics. After watching professional bowling on television, DeVore went to a local bowling alley, recalled the images and sensations he saw and experienced from watching television, and proceeded to bowl nine strikes in a row.

He shared his bowling experience with a psychology professor. The professor explained that all human skills and behavior are learned through observation learning or modeling.

DeVore then began his search to discover how observational learning works. His research took him to the Stanford laboratory of Dr. Karl Pribram, the founder of the science of neuropsychology. Pribram had the answer DeVore was looking for. The brain uses a mathematical process called the Fourier Transform to convert images to behavior.

DeVore then teamed with Pribram to apply the principle to behavior and skill acquisition—learning from role models. The resultant programs he developed generated over $250 million in worldwide sales. SyberVision became a big company and caught the interest of Wall Street investors.