Two studies traced the development of metacognitions about self-control in children from preschool through grade 6. Results indicated that children begin to understand two basic rules for effective delay of gratification by about the end of their fifth year. (Author/MP)

Assessed the relationship of a measure of self-efficacy to posttreatment smoking status in 74 adults. End-of-treatment self-efficacy scores were significantly correlated with follow-up smoking status at 3-month and 6-month follow-up, but not at 1 year. Smoking during treatment was associated with lower end-of-treatment efficacy scores. (WAS)

Compared effects of relaxation as self-control and a self-control variant of systematic desensitization in reducing targeted (test anxiety) and nontargeted anxieties with those of wait-list and no-treatment expectancy controls. Groups given relaxation as self-control and modified desensitization reported less debilitating test anxiety than…

Subjects receiving nonaversive treatment were assigned to maintenance strategies: modeling, participant observing, or self-monitoring control. Subjects showed a mean smoking rate of 46% of baseline at one year and no significant relapse between six months and one year. Differences and correlations with attribution and other questionnaire measures…

The Positive Action Plan at Jefferson (Oregon) Elementary School uses sets of rules and positive and negative consequences to encourage students to take responsibility for their own behavior. Students follow a checklist of proper behaviors to win self-management badges. A copy of the checklist is provided. (RW)

Compared smoking treatment programs using negative (recording number of cigarettes smoked) v positive (recording number of urges resisted) self-monitoring. Subjects demonstrated significant reduction in smoking frequency compared with no treatment. Findings were maintained at follow-up. Findings question the positive and negative labels used to…

Studied effects of suggestibility on performance within self- and external-control conditions. Subjects were assigned to experimental conditions--self-control, external-control, and no reward. Response rates of self and external groups were highest. Response rates of high-suggestibles in self-control conditions were not significantly different…

Explores some attributional determinants of third and fourth graders' self-punishment following transgression in a moral situation. Results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that children who are told by adults that they possess desirable moral characteristics experience particularly strong remorse when they fail to exercise…

Examines personality differences among college students manifesting varying degrees of anger arousal as measured by the California Psychological Inventory and the Anger Inventory. (Author/SS)

Investigates the reflectivity hypothesis by assessing (1) individual differences in preschool children's decentration ability and cognitive style of reflection-impulsivity and (2) the effects of instructing preschool children to adopt a reflective search strategy in their use of intention and consequence information in moral judgments. (Author/RH)

The way to combat stress is to look at it positively, according to the author. She discusses ego damagers, dealing with constructive and destructive stress, and how to control stress. (MF)

Presents a Gestalt therapeutic approach that has shown promise within a drug treatment program. The major issues discussed include the acquisition of self-support, taking responsibility, dealing with anxiety, contact, and the expression of pent-up feelings. (Author)

The program described is based upon the premise that a person's thoughts, feelings, and emotions are self-controlled. (MM)

Fifth-grade boys and girls were administered the Matching Familiar Figures Test and a projective measure of fantasy aggression and its control. They were also rated sociometrically by peers and teachers on physical, verbal, and indirect forms of overt aggression. Results indicated that conceptual tempo was related to aggression and its control.…

The article presents an approach (the Fagen-Long Curriculum) to developing skills for self-control as a means of preventing and reducing emotional and behavioral disorders in schools. (SBH)