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National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 7(108), p. 2693-2698, 2011

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1010076108

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

Journal article published in 2011 by Terrie E. Moffitt, Louise Arseneault, Daniel Belsky, Nigel Dickson, Robert J. Hancox, HonaLee L. Harrington, Renate Houts ORCID, Richie Poulton, Brent W. Roberts, Stephen Ross, Malcolm R. Sears, W. Murray Thomson, W. Murray Thomson, Avshalom Caspi ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

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.