Self Control Research Paper

Importance of Self-Control

Research indicates that early self-control is related to self-control in later childhood and throughout life (Bronson, 2000; Eisenberg et al., 1997; Sroufe, Carlson, & Schulman, 1993). Children with poor self-control tend to disrupt class, behave aggressively, and are likely to be rejected by their peers. Children with poor control are likely to be poorly adjusted to the adult world. The ability to self-regulate has been associated with secure attachments (Vondra, Shaw, Swearingen, Cohen, & Owens, 2001) and is also predictive of emotional knowledge, social competence, conscience, and resiliency in early to middle childhood (McCabe, Cunnington, & Brooks-Gunn, 2004).

Early regulatory difficulties predict later problematic

Only the first two stages, Trust versus Mistrust and Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt, will be discussed here. During the Infancy Stage of Trust versus Mistrust, infants gain a sense of trust from warm and responsive care. If infants' needs are not met consistently, or are met in a harsh manner, infants may believe the world is unfriendly and consequently develop mistrust. When trust is established, however, children are more capable of "waiting" when the significant figures in their lives are gone for a time. For example, during lunch time, a mom tells her daughter, "I am going to get you some milk, and I will be right back." A 20-month-old toddler may say "Mommy, mommy," but will not resort to crying, as she is able to control herself and wait for her mom. Part of developing trust means coping with separation. As teachers, we need to be sensitive to parents' feelings; some parents suffer because their child cries when they leave and others suffer because their child does not cry. Teachers can suggest that parents bring objects from home, such as blankets, soft toys, and photos, that will help comfort