Links on Self-Control

Via Michael Daly below some useful links for those looking to get a start on the self-control literature. Our own recent piece on childhood self-control and unemployment is available here.

Terrie Moffitt on self-control

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/obsonline/the-lifetime-effects-of-self-control-in-childhood.html

The obvious one, marshmallow experiment!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment

There are various videos on this including this highly viewed one below -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy9614HQ

It's by Walter Mischel who has written a book on the topic -

They followed the kinds up from late 60's - early 70's to recently

http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/struggles-psychologist-studying-self-control

More recent study that has been covered widely with a larger sample, more comprehensive measures and outcomes:

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/2693.full

Commentary by Angela Duckworth:

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/2639.full

Piece on this in American Scientist:

http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2013/5/lifelong-impact-of-early-self-control

Prof Angela Duckworth's page, she researches self-control and 'grit':

https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/duckworth

Prof Duckworth has a TED talk video on grit:

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit?language=en

Both self-control and related ideas like grit were covered in this v.good book:

http://www.paultough.com/the-books/how-children-succeed/

Roy Baumeister has a book on self-control also and is probably the main self-control researcher worldwide. His research is mainly lab studies and related to the 'depletion' model of self-control or willpower as a limited resource.

http://www.amazon.com/Willpower-Rediscovering-Greatest-Human-Strength/dp/0143122231

Good summary in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfnUicHDNM8

There are a couple of self-control labs in Europe. A prominent one is below. They are looking at the idea that people with high self-control are proactive in avoiding tempting situations and distraction which may explain why they are successful:

http://selfregulationlab.nl/denise-de-ridder/

There is some evidence the Perry Preschool Programme (evaluation led by Nobel winner James Heckman) could have had its positive effect by influencing traits related to self-control:

http://heckmanequation.org/content/resource/research-summary-perry-preschool-and-character-skill-development

One of the most interesting recent studies on training patience is here:

https://sites.google.com/site/salancrossley/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwo3BHO1RC19SEt6VmlPRjNZYUk/view?usp=sharing

Some other interventions that are effective:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21852486

General evidence based tips for training self-control-

http://www.parentingscience.com/teaching-self-control.html