Kanfer Self-regulation Model: What It Is And What It Is For
Do you know what self-regulation is? And self-control? Did you know that good self-regulation helps promote behavioral changes? Kanfer’s self-regulation model speaks about all of this
Through his model, Frederick Kanfer establishes that people go through 3 stages when it comes to self-regulation and managing to modify the probability of occurrence of their behavior: self-observation, self-evaluation and self-reinforcement.
Self-regulation could be defined as the ability to regulate oneself at a behavioral and emotional level It is a psychological variable that is part of the competencies of personal development.
Brown (1998), for his part, defines self-regulation as “the person’s ability to plan, monitor, and direct their behavior under changing circumstances.”
In 1991, Brown and Miller developed a model that assumes that self-regulation is achieved through seven successive processes, which are the introduction of information, self-evaluation, propensity to change, search, change planning, implementation, and evaluation. A deficit in one (or some) of these self-regulation processes would imply certain imbalances in the self-control of the individual’s behavior
For his part, Frederik. H. Kanfer, together with Goldstein, define the concept of self-regulation as the ability of people to direct their own behavior
Kanfer’s self-regulation model
According to Kanfer, self-regulation (also called self-control) involves there being a certain underlying reason for inhibiting a response sequence that, under other circumstances, might be predicted to have a high probability of occurring.
That is, in self-regulation processes there is always a situation where it is very likely to perform a type of behavior, but nevertheless the probability of such behaviors appearing is reduced by the person’s own control (or management).
Based on these ideas, Kanfer’s self-regulation model serves above all to create appropriate situations in therapy so that the patient learns to change their problematic behaviors.
Stadiums
The stages or phases proposed by Kanfer’s self-regulation model are the following:
1. Self-observation (self-monitoring)
Through this state, The person observes their own behavior, to be able to identify what should be modified In some cases, it also includes self-recording of behavior.
2. Self-evaluation
In this phase of Kanfer’s self-regulation model, the person determines standards, criteria or norms that mark or guide the objectives they want to achieve. Through these criteria, you can contrast whether the behavior change is what you are looking for or not according to your objectives.
3. Self-reinforcement
In self-reinforcement, the person self-administers consequences (tangible or symbolic), whether positive (in the case that you have equaled or exceeded the criteria) or negative (self-punishment, in the case that you have not managed to reach the previously defined criteria. In the latter case, it could also be that is simply not rewarded in any way.
Characteristics of the psychological model
Kanfer’s self-regulation model It is based on the feedback that the person has of their actions, as well as the consequences it generates on itself or the environment. The model highlights the criteria as something fundamental to develop a process of self-correction and self-control, to finally self-regulate.
In itself, self-regulation, according to the author, consists of a self-correcting procedure that would appear only when there were discrepancies, indices of imminent danger or conflicting motivational stages All of this would activate the first stage or self-observation system.
But how would behavior be regulated through Kanfer’s self-regulation model? First of all, it would be necessary for the person to feel the need to increase the effectiveness of his own behavior when faced with certain tasks, so that he could self-regulate her behavior. It could also be that the person was faced with a situation that required a change in the probability of certain behaviors occurring.
Self-control, for its part, would imply an aversive state (unlike the self-regulation stage); Faced with this aversive state, the person should make an effort to modify the probability of occurrence of one or more responses.
Assumptions
Why do self-control programs emerge? In Kanfer’s self-regulation model, it considers a series of reasons or motives that drive the creation and use of this type of programs.
On the one hand, this happens due to the fact that there are many behaviors that are only accessible to the subject himself. Furthermore, problem behaviors usually They are related to cognitive activity and the person’s own reactions not being directly observable, so a self-regulatory process is necessary.
Kanfer also considers the need to propose an intervention that proposes change as something positive and feasible for the person, with the aim of increasing their motivation for such change.
Finally, according to Kanfer’s self-regulation model, The intervention should be aimed at teaching the patient how to manage possible relapses or new problems in addition to trying to address current conflicts or problems.
Conclusions
The processes of self-regulation and self-control They are very important in therapy In relation to the efficiency of psychological interventions, if these two processes are developed effectively by the patient, it is likely that clinical therapy sessions will be reduced, as well as the therapist’s activity.
Furthermore, all of this would also benefit and enhance a feeling of responsibility and involvement in the patient, who would feel responsible for their changes and progress, thus promoting their self-concept and self-esteem.
