Ab initio molecular orbital theory is used to study the β effect of carbon, silicon, germanium, or tin on the carbenium ions in H2R'MCH2CHR+ (R' = H; R = H, CH3). The relative stabilization energies of carbenium ions provided by M (M = C, Si, Ge, Sn) were determined by calculating the energy change in an isodesmic reaction using MP2/3-21G(d) (at SCF /3-21G* geometries) and MP2/6-31G(d) (at SCF /6- 31G(d) geometries) wave functions. The magnitude of the β effect is predicted to increase in the order C < Si < Ge < Sn. For R = H, the nonvertical cyclic structure is favored for the cations, whereas methyl substitution appears to stabilize the vertical acyclic arrangement.