USA, January 24, 2011 (Time.com): Self-control in early life appears to be the secret to a successful life.
The “Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study,” whose results were published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that children with good self-control grew into adults who were typically healthier, wealthier, more law-abiding and less prone to addictions than their more impulsive peers. These findings confirm and expand upon the results of the famous Stanford marshmallow study [noted earlier in HPI].
Following 1,000 children in New Zealand from birth to age 32, the new study found marked differences in adulthood between those who had the least self-control as children and those with the most:
Multiple health problems: 27% vs. 11%
Addictions to multiple substances: 10% vs. 3%
Low income (under $20,000 per year): 32% vs. 10%
Criminal record by age 32: 43% vs. 13%
Single parents: 58% vs. 26%
About half the problems surfaced in adolescence, such as becoming a smoker or getting pregnant. “Trial and error is a healthy part of teenage life,” says Duke University psychologist Terrie Moffitt, who led the new study. “But teens with good self-control engage in trial and error strategically, and they appreciate the difference between a useful learning experiment and real danger. I’m convinced that teenagers can be coached on this distinction.”
About 7% of the children in Moffitt’s study dramatically increased their self-control over the course of the research, although researchers don’t know how or why.
The full article, at source, contains much more information about this study.