Tested the hypothesis that discrimination of a response automatically leads to control over that response. 24 Ss participated in 2 experiments, with occipital alpha EEG activity being the discriminative stimulus. Results indicate that holding the probabilities of alpha and nonalpha discrimination trials near .50 results in an absence of learning curves, but leaves open the possibility that sophisticated Ss are capable of discriminating alpha and nonalpha activity. However, learning to increase percent-time nonalpha or decrease percent-time alpha with respect to baseline levels by means of EEG-contingent stimulation provides Ss with the ability to suppress percent-time alpha in the absence of feedback. Interview information indicates that Ss most often acquired their control of alpha activity during feedback by a specific strategy, and then used the strategy during the stimulus-control tests. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)