Candidate: Laura Kay Murray

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: Self-Control Training in Young Children

Committee:
Dr. R. Wayne Fuqua, Chair
Dr. Scott H. Kollins
Dr. Galen Alessi
Dr. Alan Poling
Dr. Jori Reijonen

Date: Monday, March 18, 2002 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
2704 Wood Hall

Abstract:
The incidence of conduct and behavioral disorders is steadily on the rise. Externalizing problems in the preschool years are considerable predictors of problems in later childhood, and even adulthood. There is a growing need for effective prevention programs with young children that are based in school environments. Prevention efforts with young children often focus on self-control training or the reduction of impulsive behaviors. Impulsivity is an early presenting behavior pattern that can lead to numerous and varied problems and disorders. One therapeutic intervention for treating poorly self-controlled children uses a combination of cognitive and behavioral techniques. Independent studies and a number of literature reviews have been conducted to examine the overall effectiveness of various cognitive-behavioral techniques in increasing self-control, showing mixed results. The present study had two goals: (1) to measure the effectiveness of a combination of both cognitive and behavioral treatment techniques to train self-control in preschoolers and (2) to use both cognitive and behavioral outcome measures, to demonstrate where the changes (if any) would be most clearly seen in a preschool population.

Thirty-one 4-year-old children in a preschool program for "at-risk" children were randomly assigned to treatment or control group. The treatment group received a five-week self-control training using cognitive and behavioral techniques. Evaluation of outcome occurred at pre- and post-intervention. Dependent measures included classroom behavior observations, Conners' Rating Scales (CPRS, CTRS), Self-Control Rating Scale (SCRS), MFFT, and a waiting task. Results showed significant improvement of treatment group on the waiting task, the CPRS, and the SCRS-teacher report. Many outcome measures demonstrated improvement across both treatment and control groups, but did not reach statistical significance. It was concluded that a cognitive-behavioral intervention has some positive impact on preschool children. The results are discussed within the context of methodological limitations of the study which serve as proposals for continued research in this area.

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