Cognitive Self-Instructional Training Approach for Reducing Disruptive Behavior of Young Children

Abstract

The influence of cognitive self-instructional training on the impulsive-aggressive behavior of 16 third-grade boys was examined. Children were equated by ranks on the frequency of their aggressive and motor behavior in the classroom and randomly assigned to the cognitive self-instruction or an attention-control group. The instruction condition employed a training procedure which required the child to talk to himself, initially overtly and then covertly, to increase self-control. Posttreatment classroom observations and teachers' ratings showed that the instruction group exhibited fewer deviant behaviors compared to controls although the differences were non-significant. Daring a staged problematic situation the instruction condition showed somewhat fewer deviant responses than controls and the number of prosocial responses differed only slightly. However, there was a significant difference between groups in the frequency of waiting and verbal aggressive behaviors. Results suggest that the instruction group may have used covert speech for controlling deviant responses to frustration rather than generating prosocial approach behavior.