Self-control: Determinants, life outcomes and intergenerational implications

Deborah Cobb-Clark, Sarah C. Dahmann, Daniel Kamhofer and Hannah Schildberg-Hörisch
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Hannah Schildberg-Hoerisch ()

No 319, DICE Discussion Papers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE)

Abstract: This paper studies self-control in a nationally representative sample. Using the wellestablished Tangney scale to measure trait self-control, we find that people's age as well as the political and economic institutions they are exposed to have an economically meaningful impact on their level of self-control. A higher degree of self-control is, in turn, associated with better health, educational and labor market outcomes as well as greater financial and overall well-being. Parents' self-control is linked to reduced behavioral problems among their children. Importantly, we demonstrate that self-control is a key behavioral economic construct which adds significant explanatory power beyond other more commonly studied personality traits and economic preference parameters. Our results suggest that self-control is potentially a good target for intervention policies.

Keywords: self-control; Tangney scale; personality traits; intergenerational transmission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-hea, nep-lma and nep-neu
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/200630/1/1669588041.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Self-Control: Determinants, Life Outcomes and Intergenerational Implications (2019)
Working Paper: Self-Control: Determinants, Life Outcomes and Intergenerational Implications (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:dicedp:319

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