Psychic surrender, a malady that's becoming progressively stronger in our culture, can be defined as the act of turning complete control of your life over to someone you perceive as stronger and more capable than you, e.g., God, trendy therapies, or gurus. What is needed is more self-responsibility. (RM)

Presents the Decision-Making Process Model, a framework for working through questions that require action. The seven steps are identifying the decision; determining why it is needed; identifying alternatives; analyzing information; estimating practicality; and deciding on a conclusion. The focus is on adolescent sexual decisions. (Author/JAC)

Behavioral techniques along with a self-regulation methodology were used successfully to decrease encopretic behaviors in a 9-year-old male. Kanfer's self-regulatory model appears to be generalizable to any child with the cognitive ability to understand that he or she has a problem and to make decisions about treatment. (Author/PN)

A major reason for violent behavior and poor sportsmanship is that aggressors rationalize their actions by concocting self-justifying excuses. Increased self-awareness can help coaches and team members control their immature behavior. (PP)

Studied differences between 43 female and male students in academic achievement; level of occupational plans; delay of gratification; feelings of personal control; and concepts of present self, ideal self, and self in five years. Differences favored the females for academic achievement and the males for level of occupational plans. (JAC)

Research suggests that adults can help students become more responsible by teaching them new ways of thinking about self-control and new skills and strategies for self-control. (JM)

Examined effects of self-monitoring alone and self-monitoring plus self-reward on three academic and three related procrastinative behaviors of six academically disadvantaged minority college students. Self-monitoring plus self-reward was effective in producing substantial increases in academic behaviors and grades and in producing decreases in…

Evaluated naturally occurring methods for self-controlling poor study behavior. Successful and unsuccessful subjects were interviewed and observed. The successful methods were evaluated in a controlled treatment study. The self-control techniques identified in the earlier steps received some further support in the last step. (Author)

Comments on Etzioni's claim that student self-discipline is crucial to learning. Agrees that discipline policies and motivation are related but contends Etzioni fails to consider effects of cultural and class differences and ignores the fundamental issue of balancing rewards for individual effort and rewards for excellence among peers. (PGD)

College students were randomly assigned to one of four groups: hypnotic treatment, biofeedback treatment, trophotropic treatment, and control. Results indicated hypnosis was more effective in lowering anxiety levels. With regard to increasing ego strength, both the hypnotic and biofeedback training groups proved to be significant. Presented at the…

Performance outcomes are influenced by two psychological needs: the need to feel competent and the need to feel in control. To avoid competitive stress and create motivation, the athletic coach should: (1) take the emphasis off winning and place it on the process of skill development and improvement; and (2) encourage the athlete to set realistic…

Literature is cited on such classroom management techniques as environmental manipulations, curriculum modifications, behavior modification, and dealing with affective attitude. Also considered are home management techniques and self-control programs including biofeedback and relaxation training. (SB)

Examined one-year follow-up data on a cognitive-behavioral treatment. Improvements were found for subjects in all treatment groups, and these effects were attributed to increased age. Results indicated that conceptually trained children showed significantly better recall of the material than either concrete trained or control group children.…

Six graduate social work students, enrolled in a course on behavioral self-control, were taught using performance contracts for A, B, or C grades and the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI). Student performance and satisfaction with the course were high. (GDC)