Self-control predicts health and wealth

Children as young as three with low levels of self-control are more likely to have physical health problems, financial difficulties and a criminal record in later life regardless of background and IQ, according to a new King's College London study funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). A team of scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's, Duke University in the USA and the University of Otago in New Zealand used data from two large studies to investigate how self-control skills might influence children's chances in life. The Dunedin Study followed 1,000 children, born between April 1972 and March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand, from birth to the age of 32. The second MRC-funded study, the Environmental-Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (E-RISK) followed 500 non-identical British twins born between 1994 and 1995 until the age of 12. Those taking part in the studies completed a range of physical tests and interviews to assess a range of genetic and environmental factors that can shape children's lives. Self-control skills such as conscientiousness, self-discipline and perseverance were assessed by teachers, parents, observers and the participants themselves. Measures included a child's tolerance to frustration, their ability to stick to a task, their persistence in reaching goals, and the ability to wait their turn.