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A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Moffitt, TE; Arseneault, L; Belsky, D; Dickson, N; Hancox, RJ; Harrington, H; Houts, R; Poulton, R; Roberts, BW; Ross, S; Sears, MR; Caspi, A ...
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
February 2011

Policy-makers are considering large-scale programs aimed at self-control to improve citizens' health and wealth and reduce crime. Experimental and economic studies suggest such programs could reap benefits. Yet, is self-control important for the health, wealth, and public safety of the population? Following a cohort of 1,000 children from birth to the age of 32 y, we show that childhood self-control predicts physical health, substance dependence, personal finances, and criminal offending outcomes, following a gradient of self-control. Effects of children's self-control could be disentangled from their intelligence and social class as well as from mistakes they made as adolescents. In another cohort of 500 sibling-pairs, the sibling with lower self-control had poorer outcomes, despite shared family background. Interventions addressing self-control might reduce a panoply of societal costs, save taxpayers money, and promote prosperity.

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Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

February 2011

Volume

108

Issue

7

Start / End Page

2693 / 2698

Related Subject Headings

  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Social Control, Informal
  • Sex Factors
  • Public Policy
  • Psychology, Child
  • Personality
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Internal-External Control
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., … Caspi, A. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(7), 2693–2698. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010076108
Moffitt, Terrie E., Louise Arseneault, Daniel Belsky, Nigel Dickson, Robert J. Hancox, Honalee Harrington, Renate Houts, et al. “A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108, no. 7 (February 2011): 2693–98. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010076108.
Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, Dickson N, Hancox RJ, Harrington H, et al. A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2011 Feb;108(7):2693–8.
Moffitt, Terrie E., et al. “A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 108, no. 7, Feb. 2011, pp. 2693–98. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.1010076108.
Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky D, Dickson N, Hancox RJ, Harrington H, Houts R, Poulton R, Roberts BW, Ross S, Sears MR, Thomson WM, Caspi A. A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2011 Feb;108(7):2693–2698.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

February 2011

Volume

108

Issue

7

Start / End Page

2693 / 2698

Related Subject Headings

  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Social Control, Informal
  • Sex Factors
  • Public Policy
  • Psychology, Child
  • Personality
  • New Zealand
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Internal-External Control