Within the picture above, Clara is ready to seize the toy, which I’ve been shifting round with the flirt pole. She is going to seize it after I give the discharge cue. Does this display 1) impulse management; or 2) stimulus management?
Reply: each. Preserve studying.
I get it. The phrases “impulse management” and “self-control” don’t sound good to constructive reinforcement-based trainers. They sound blame-y. “My canine shouldn’t have grabbed that cheese off the counter; he ought to have had extra self-control.” “Did you see her leap at that tug and nearly chunk my hand? She must study impulse management!”
These phrases appear to depart conduct science behind and label the canine. They appear to narrate to detrimental character traits or inside states that we are able to’t know (however don’t just like the outcomes of). Individuals declare they don’t have a definition in conduct science.
However guess what? They do! They’ve a selected definition in conduct science, effectively operationalized, with a protracted historical past of examine. And there’s no blame, no fictional narrative implied. The Journal of the Experimental Evaluation of Conduct and different journals have a wealth of articles on self-control and impulse management.
For the remainder of this piece, I’ll use the time period “self-control” to cowl Impulse management as effectively. They overlap in definition (Cooper et al., 2007, p. 16).
That is simply the sort of factor I wish to deal with, however I at all times hesitate and take into account the implications. Am I nitpicking? Perhaps, however I imagine there’s worth in acknowledging a discipline of examine that appears to be little identified, and acknowledging the nuances in each ideas. So let’s begin with definitions.
Definitions and Examples of Self-Management
Here’s a definition of self-control from the literature of utilized conduct evaluation.
Self-control [is] exemplified by selecting a big delayed reinforcer slightly than a small instant one . . . — Grosch & Neuringer, 1981
This can be a easy scientific definition. Behaviors that match this definition could be noticed and operationalized.
However the time period “self-control” sadly has the identical problem as “punishment.” The conduct analytic definition is completely different from the extra frequent utilization. Worse, it additionally differs from the definition in psychology. However we don’t cease utilizing the phrase punishment; we take the time to clarify. We are able to do this for “self-control.”
Cooper et al. point out two definitions of self-control. One pertains to the Grosch & Neuringer definition above. The opposite was outlined and utilized by Skinner (1953). I’ll talk about that definition in a brief part close to the top of this piece.
Here’s a definition from the sector of psychology: “The power to withstand an impulse, need, or temptation and to control its translation into motion” (APA dictionary). This definition has turn into the lay understanding of the time period. However with its abstractions about inside states, there’s nothing helpful in it for the utilized examine of conduct.
There’s a good paper concerning the operationalization of “self-control” that defines it in opposition to the psychology definition. Right here’s a citation from it:
. . . it’s extra applicable to measure selection making behaviors. It has been described that the impulsive selection is chosen when the participant chooses the smaller, extra instant reinforcer. The selection is deemed to be a self-controlled selection if the participant chooses the bigger, extra delayed reinforcer over a smaller, instant reinforcer. Because of this, the abstraction that self-control is a non-public occasion is minimized, if not eradicated. As an alternative, solely the alternatives which might be made and noticed are thought of inside the definition. — McKeel & Dixon, 2014 (added daring mine)
In coaching, the definition of self-control applies to sure expertise we train. Lack of self-control just isn’t a personality trait or a label. Neither is it a pathology; it covers lots of odd canine (and human) conduct.
Self-control behaviors could be operationalized after we know our species and our particular person. Within the picture on the prime, I had moved a toy very near Clara. Being a canine (species) who likes to play with a toy by grabbing, biting, and pulling (species/particular person), her probably conduct can be to seize it. However slightly than the shifting toy being the cue for a seize, my launch cue is the cue for it. (When you assume that’s related to stimulus management, you’re proper. However let’s wait earlier than getting additional into it.)
Ready will get her the bigger, delayed reward, slightly than the instant, smaller one. The delayed reward is extra intense as a result of I’ve created a historical past that I’ll play along with her heartily if she waits. She has realized self-control behaviors that assist the sport be safer for me and nonetheless enjoyable for her.
Self-control behaviors have been studied in lots of species. Try the references for an fascinating article about cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) performing self-control conduct (Schnell et al., 2021).
Right here’s an article about self-control within the toutouwai (Petroica longipes), a songbird from Aotearoa (McCallum & Shaw, 2024).
Definitions and Examples of Stimulus Management
Whereas self-control is simple and easy to operationalize, stimulus management is a fancy matter. Conduct science books usually have a big part or entire chapter on the subject.
I’ve made a useful listing of definitions of stimulus management from 12 textbooks in case that’s useful to anybody else.
Here’s a definition I like:
A conduct is alleged to be underneath stimulus management when there’s an elevated chance that the conduct will happen within the presence of a selected antecedent stimulus or a stimulus from a selected stimulus class. — Miltenberger, 2008, p. 145
Though the definitions use particular wording, the idea appears so summary. No less than one textbook I checked says that stimulus management is used as a label (Mayer et al., 2019, p. 326), a typical criticism of the time period self-control within the canine coaching world.
The inventory phrases within the canine world haven’t helped. Many individuals, together with me, have outlined stimulus management by itemizing some “guidelines” about it which might be coaching pointers. These guidelines don’t comprise the definition. You possibly can learn them on this outdated put up of mine.
I’m going to present some examples of the usage of the time period stimulus management, as a result of that’s been the best method for me to have a starting understanding of it.
A good friend who is a superb coach and works in utilized conduct evaluation posted a video I preferred. It exhibits how she taught her canine to seek out an merchandise by scent. Within the description, she mentions the interval when the “stimulus management of the conduct of approaching the merchandise switches from the sight of it to the odor of it.”
At first, the discriminative stimulus for the conduct of approaching the item is it showing within the canine’s visual view. Then, because the coach begins to place the merchandise farther away and out of sight, in some unspecified time in the future the canine begins utilizing his nostril. The discriminative stimulus is now the odor (though the sight of the merchandise can stay an element for seen objects). We are able to observe the change in his conduct: he’s now sniffing, whereas earlier than he appeared primarily to be trying.
However doesn’t should be only one stimulus. Many behaviors are underneath the management of a number of stimuli. Paul Likelihood says:
Typically stimulus management is exerted not by a single stimulus however by a fancy array of stimuli that, collectively, affect conduct. We behave in another way at a proper ball than we do at a sq. dance, and conduct that will be acceptable at a seaside social gathering is unacceptable at a cocktail party. — Likelihood, 2003, p. 84
For an additional instance involving canines, consider the stimulus of time of day and the way usually that pairs with different stimuli to sign the provision of reinforcement. If I am going decide up my canine’s meals toy when it’s not time for a meal, he could regulate me, however he gained’t leap up and carry out “on the point of eat” behaviors. But when I decide it up at his regular breakfast time, the time of day plus selecting up the toy collectively comprise a superb prediction of an imminent meal. Both a kind of by itself is a a lot weaker predictor.
And for my instance at first with Clara, after I taught Clara a self-control conduct (ready till cued to seize the toy) I modified the stimulus management from the motion of the toy to my cue.
The “Management” A part of Stimulus Management
Since conduct depends on possibilities, management is maybe not the very best phrase, nevertheless it’s the one we’ve obtained. I agree with Dr. Susan Friedman’s suggestion of the time period “stimulus affect,” which loses the detrimental connotations of “management” and the concept management is absolute. Pierce and Cheney’s definition (2017, p. 171) consists of that “A controlling stimulus (S) is alleged to change the chance of an operant.” (added daring mine)
Skinner and Self-Management
Skinner used the time period “self-control” to explain what we’d name “self-management” (1953, Chapter XV Self-Management, p. 227–241). He wrote of arranging stimuli forward of time to encourage a sure conduct in oneself later.
Listed here are some trendy examples. If I made a decision to chop sugary snacks from my food plan, an early step is perhaps for me to take away all such snacks from my home. And if I needed to lower a fast-food behavior, I’d begin meals prepping or purchase a bunch of easy-to-prepare frozen meals. These actions would fall into Skinner’s class of “self-control.” We’d name them antecedent preparations. It’s fascinating, as a result of they might not fall into the favored definition of self-control in any respect. We’d say such actions have been eradicating the need of self-control. An instance of the favored definition of self-control can be the power to have the snacks in the home and not eat them.
Are Self-Management and Stimulus Management Opposites?
I’ve seen claims that these two ideas that apply to conduct are opposites in impact or implication. I don’t agree. This declare depends upon utilizing the psychology definition of self-control slightly than the conduct evaluation one. The latter is operationalizable, and doesn’t oppose or battle with the idea of stimulus management in any respect.
I perceive the explanations to not use the phrases self-control and impulse management. The usual definitions have baggage we don’t need to carry into constructive reinforcement-based coaching. There are conditions the place it could be greatest “to not go there.” However take note, self-control behaviors could be described and labeled, there want be no ethical judgment hooked up, and a coach needn’t depend on aversive methods to show them.
Copyright 2025 Eileen Anderson
References
- Likelihood, P. (2003). Studying and Conduct (fifth ed.). Thomson-Wadsworth.
- Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Utilized conduct evaluation (2nd ed.). Pearson.
- Gao, Z., Wang, H., Lu, C., Lu, T., Froudist-Walsh, S., Chen, M., Wang, X., Hu, J., & Solar, W. (2021). The neural foundation of delayed gratification. Science Advances, 7(49), eabg6611.
- Grosch, J., & Neuringer, A. (1981). Self-control in pigeons underneath the Mischel Paradigm. Journal of the Experimental Evaluation of Conduct, 35, 3–21. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1981.35-3
- Mayer, G. R., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Wallace, M. (2019). Conduct evaluation for lasting change (4th ed.). Sloan Pub..
- McCallum, E., & Shaw, R. C. (2024). Measuring self-control in a wild songbird utilizing a spatial discounting activity. Animal Cognition, 27(1), 1-16.
- McKeel, A. N., & Dixon, M. R. (2014). Furthering a conduct analytic account of self-control utilizing relational body idea. Behavioral Growth Bulletin, 19(2), 111.
- Miltenberger, R. G. (2008). Conduct modification (4th ed.). Wadsworth.
- Pierce, W. D., & Cheney, C. D. (2017). Conduct evaluation and studying: A biobehavioral strategy (4th ed.). Routledge.
- Schnell, A. Okay., Boeckle, M., Rivera, M., Clayton, N. S., & Hanlon, R. T. (2021). Cuttlefish exert self-control in a delay of gratification activity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 288(1946), 20203161.
- Skinner, B. F. (1953) Science and human conduct. Pearson.
Photograph Credit
Cuttlefish picture from Wikimedia Commons from consumer Magnafl, included underneath this license.
Toutouwai (North Island Robin) picture from Wikimedia Commons from consumer DrewHeath (edited by Tony Wills), included underneath this license.
All different pictures copyright Eileen Anderson.
