Self Control Triad

The self control triad involves asking a client to yell (stop), take a deep breath, and relax, and then to imagine a pleasant scene whenever the target behavior occurs. Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Volume I: Adult Clinical Applications Volume II: Child Clinical Applications Volume III: Educational Applications p. 797. (The last step is for covert reinforcement)

Self Control Triad (SCT) is a CC procedure that is used to reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of behaviors. In employing the SCT, the client is instructed to yell "stop" to himself covertly and then do relaxation breathing by taking a deep breath and saying the word "relax" covertly while exhaling and trying to feel a wave of relaxation starting at the top of his head and going to the toes. After the relaxation breathing, the client imagines a pleasant scene. Saying "stop!" interferes with the ongoing response to be reduced. The relaxation breathing also acts as a distractor and reciprocally inhibits the response. The pleasant scene is a distract and reciprocally inhibits and reinforces the use of the triad when need for reducing a particular response. Cautela, Contemporary Issues in Behavior Therapy: Improving the Human Condition, p 347

References

• Reference: Cautela JR. The Self-Control Triad: Description and Clinical Applications. Behavior Modification. 1983;7(3):299-315. doi:10.1177/01454455830073001
• Orzack et al., 2006 used this strategy for porn viewing. Here references: Cautella, J. (1977). Behavioral Analysis Forms for Clinical Interventions. New York: Research Press.
• This procedure consists of three parts (hence the term "triad"). First, clients are instructed to shout "stop" to themselves (preferably not aloud, especially in public!) whenever they think of the undesirable behavior or thought. Second, they are instructed to take a deep breath, exhale, and relax. Third, they then imagine a pleasant scene as a reward for terminating the undesirable thought. Thus, negative reinforcement or escape conditioning is involved. Less obvious variations of this procedure have been used such as snapping a rubber band on one's wrist as an aid to stopping the thought or cognitive distraction from the intrusive thought to another image. The self-control triad can be useful for clients who are plagued by constant negative ruminations. Self Control Triad Thought Stopping, Bernard Health Care: