Self-control of study behavior: Identification and evaluation of natural methods

Attempted to identify and evaluate naturally occurring (i.e., self-initiated) methods for self-controlling poor study behavior. This was done in 3 steps: (a) 12 successful and 12 unsuccessful undergraduates were interviewed about the methods they used; (b) 6 of these Ss were observed as they studied in their natural environment; and (c) the successful methods identified in the previous steps were evaluated in a controlled treatment study with 45 new Ss. The self-control techniques identified in the earlier steps received some further support in the last step. Several methodological, empirical, and logical concerns argue for caution when interpreting these results. Nevertheless, the methodology applied here shows promise for identifying useful self-control techniques, and the techniques evaluated here show promise for improving study behavior. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).