Repeated Acquisition and Resistance to Change of Self-Control as a Function of Rule Completeness: A Replication and Extension

Abstract

From a behavioral perspective, self-control can be defined as choice of a more highly preferred alternative over a less highly preferred alternative despite a longer delay for the more highly preferred alternative. Teaching repertoires of self-control has been useful in treating substance-abuse and other types of patterns of addictive behavior. Given logistical and practical difficulties in the implementation of such treatments with highly verbal individuals, analyses concerning the relation between rule-governance and self-control is warranted. The purpose of the current study is to replicate and extent Canon’s (2005) research on the relation between rule completeness and self-control. A pilot study was conducted with 18 undergraduates from the University of Nevada, Reno in which participants were presented with rules of varying completeness prior to completing a computerized self-control task. Preliminary results suggest that the proportion of self-control responses and delay tolerance can be increased as a function of rule completeness. The proposed research will examine changes in self-control when the completeness of rules is changed in a reversal single-subject design.