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

作者：Moffitt Terrie E; Arseneault Louise; Belsky Daniel; Dickson Nigel; Hancox Robert J; Harrington HonaLee; Houts Renate; Poulton Richie; Roberts Brent W; Ross Stephen; Sears Malcolm R; Thomson W Murray; Caspi Avshalom^*

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

DOI：10.1073/pnas.1010076108

• life course
• longitudinal
• public policy

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.

• 出版日期2011-2-15