This study compared the effects of a behavioral type of personal control and cognitive personal control information on cataract patients' postoperative orientation, indeterminate stimulus experiences, mood states, and performance (Ellis, 1972; Johnson, 1975; Seligman, 1975). Subjects were 40 patients, age 50 or older, scheduled for their first unilateral cataract surgical experience.Using a four-condition experimental design, patients were randomly assigned to: (1) behavioral instructions (behavioral control), (2) sensory information (cognitive control), (3) both behavioral instructions and sensory information, or (4) general information. It was found that neither behavioral nor cognitive control interventions had a significant effect on any of the dependent variables. However, the combination of behavioral and cognitive control intervention significantly reduced the number of days after discharge before patients elected to venture from their homes. No significant differences were found between experimental conditions in frequency of patient-reported indeterminate stimulus experiences (ISE).