SELF-PACED INSTRUCTION, DETERMINANTS OF A SELF-ADOPTED PACE, AND THE EFFECTS OF THE PACE ADOPTED ON BEHAVIOR WERE STUDIED. THIS REPRESENTED THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF THREE STUDIES, CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PACING MODE AND BEHAVIOR. (REFER TO ACCESSION NUMBERS ED 003 200, ED 003 201, AND ED 003 202 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PROJECT). TWO SELF-PACED SCIENCE PROGRAMS WERE ADMINISTERED TO 2 SEPARATE EIGHTH-GRADE GROUPS OF APPROXIMATELY 250 AND 360 STUDENTS. BOTH PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED THROUGH SLIDES AND TELEVISION. PRINCIPAL ABILITY MEASURES OBTAINED WERE INTELLIGENCE AND READING COMPREHENSION. PERFORMANCE MEASURES FOR EACH PROGRAM WERE PRETEST SCORES, PROGRAM COMPLETION TIMES, ERROR NUMBERS, AND POST-TEST SCORES. RESULTS WERE DISCUSSED WITH RESPECT TO PREDICTORS OF WORK RATE, PREDICTORS OF ERRORS, AND PREDICTORS OF ACHIEVEMENT. MANY STUDENTS EXHIBITED CHARACTERISTIC WORK HABITS, REFLECTING A CONSISTENCY OF THE PACE THEY ADOPTED AND OF THE FREQUENCY OF ERRORS COMMITTED. NEITHER CONSISTENT PATTERN WAS PREDICTED BY MEASURES OF ABILITY. THE WISDOM OF ALLOWING ALL STUDENTS TO PACE THEMSELVES WAS QUESTIONED. RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS TO DETERMINE WHETHER (1) EXTERNAL CONTROL OVER A STUDENT'S RATE OF WORK IMPROVES PERFORMANCE (IF HE WORKS AT AN INAPPROPRIATE RATE IN SELF-INSTRUCTION) AND (2) THE RESPONSES A STUDENT MAKES AS A CONSEQUENCE OF HIS ERRORS SHOULD BE GUIDED SO THAT ACHIEVEMENT MAY BE IMPROVED. (JC)