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)

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: