Publications [#253146] of Terrie E. Moffitt

Journal Articles

1. Moffitt, TE; Poulton, R; Caspi, A (2013). Lifelong Impact of Early Self-Control Childhood self-discipline predicts adult quality of life. AMERICAN SCIENTIST, 101(5), 352-359. [doi]
   (last updated on 2024/04/19)

   Abstract:
   An individual's preschool self-control predicts their life satisfaction, crime record, income level, physical health, and parenting skill in adolescence and even adulthood. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study is a 40 year investigation of health and behavior in just over 1000 individuals born between April 1972 and March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The study began with babies as an obstetric survey of newborn health but evolved into a powerful long term study, including behavior and psychology. This study lends itself to analyzing correlations to understand behavioral patterns over the participants' with low self-control and poor outcomes have not dropped out of the study, enabling to explore a full range of life experiences. A study of 1000 children using Dunedin approach revealed that the children who showed early difficulty with self-control grew up to have poorer health, greater substance abuse, more financial difficulties , higher crime conviction rates, and lower parenting skill.