self-regulation

A three-stage strategy patients are taught to use in order to end risky health-associated behaviors such as smoking and overeating: 1. self-monitoring (self-observation), the first stage in s. involves the individual's deliberately attending to and recording his or her own behavior; 2. self-evaluation, the second stage, in which the individual assesses what was learned by self-monitoring, such as how often and where one smokes, and uses those observational data to establish health goals or criteria; and 3. self-reinforcement, the third stage, in which the individual rewards him/herself for each behavioral success on the road to that goal, thereby enhancing the chance of reaching it.