ABSTRACT
A behavior model of self-control states that self-control occurs when an individual behaves in some way that arranges the environment to manage his or her subsequent behavior. Many problems of self-control involve self-restraint—learning to decrease excessive behaviors that have immediate gratification—such as excessive eating, drinking, TV watching, and texting. Studies of dieters, for example, have reported that those who set small, gradual shaping steps for reducing calories were more likely to develop self-control over binge eating. One type of self-control problem consists of behavioral excesses—doing too much of something. These can be caused by an immediate reinforcer versus a delayed punisher for a problem behavior; an immediate reinforcer versus a cumulatively significant punisher for a problem behavior; and an immediate reinforcer for a problem behavior versus a delayed reinforcer for a desirable alternative behavior. Another type of self-control problem is a behavioral deficit.
