ThePsychologyofAchievement

DavidMeketon
DepartmentofPsychology
UniversityofPennsylvania
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CookieMonsterLearnstoPractice
SelfControl
 WhatisSelfControl?

VS
.

Theabilitytovoluntarilyregulatethoughts,emotions,
andbehaviorintheserviceofavaluedgoal.
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QuestionnaireMeasuresofSelfControl
BriefSelfControlScale,ChildrensBehavior
Questionnaire

Inexpensive,quick,andreliable,but
Responsebias
Socialdesirabilitybias
Memoryrecalllimitations
Acquiescencebias
Haloeffects
Andsoforth
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Selfcontrol:resistingthehourly
temptations

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 Play game
Do math or
watch
movie

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- 1 Play game
________
7 or Do math
2 watch
-6 movie
-8

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 WillPower
Iconsidermyselftobeof
basicallyaveragetalent

Thekeytolifeisona
treadmillWhenIsayIam
goingtorunthreemiles,Irun
five.Withthatmentality,itis
actuallydifficulttolose.

WillSmith
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 Highvs.ModerateChallenges
Peopleseemtohavetheideathatthe
waytoeminenceisoneofgreatself
denial,fromwhichtherearehourly
temptationstodivergeThisistrue
enoughofthegreatmajorityofmen,but
itissimplynottrueofthegeneralityof
thosewhohavegainedgreat
reputations.
--Galton (1892)
 Cox(1926)commontraitsof300geniuses
Tendencynottoabandontasksinthefaceofobstacles.
Perseverance,tenacity,doggedness.
Tendencynottoabandontasksfrommerechangeability.
Notseekingsomethingfreshbecauseofnovelty.Not
lookingforachange.
Willingham(1985)
Followthrough,evidenceofpurposeful,continuous
commitmenttocertaintypesofactivitiesversussporadic
effortsindiverseareaswasthebestpredictorofsuccess
incollegeotherthanSATandhighschoolrank
 GritScale
Passion for long-term goals
New ideas and new projects sometimes distract me from previous ones. *
I become interested in new pursuits every few months. *
My interests change from year to year.*
I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.*
I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.*
I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to
complete.*
Perseverance for long-term goals
I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.
I have achieved a goal that took years of work.
I am diligent.
Setbacks dont discourage me.
I finish whatever I begin.
I am a hard worker.
 Skillasafunction
Skill ofdeliberatepractice

Age (years)
Figure adapted with permission from The scientific study of expert levels of performance by K.A. Ericsson, p. 90, 1998
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NationalSpellingBee

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 Deliberatepracticeishard
andnotthatfun

SpellingBeePreparation

7.5

6.5

5.5 Enjoyment
Effort

4.5

3.5
Deliberate Testing VerbalLeisure
Practice Activities
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WestPointBeastBarracks

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 Gritpredictedsummerretention
Gritpredictedsummerretention(94%ofthe
incomingcadets)morerobustlythandidself
discipline,WholeCandidateScore(highschool
rank,SAT,leadershippotentialrating,physical
aptitude)
Gritpredicteddropoutsbetterthanallother
measuredvariablescombined
GritandSATscorewereweaklyinversely
related(r =.05,p <.09)
 West Point Summer Retention

0.98

Grit
Summer Retention

0.96

0.94

Whole
0.92 Candidate
Score
0.9

0.88
1 2 3 4
Quartile

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Counterfactualthinking

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 Counterfactual
Comparison

B=1.78*
B=.59*

B=.31*
Grit Retention
(B=.05)

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 Willpower:tryinghardnot todo
somethingthatyoureallywanttodo

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Somechildrentendtoactmore
selfcontrolledthanothers
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Globalgoal:Academicsuccess
Temptation:AngryBirds

VS

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SloaneStudyofYouthandSocial
Development(N =1228)

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 Howimportant iswhatyouaredoing
toyourfuturegoals?
7.0000

6.0000

5.0000

4.0000

3.0000

2.0000

1.0000

.0000

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 Areyouhappy?
7.0000

6.0000

5.0000

4.0000

3.0000

2.0000

1.0000

.0000

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 Domainspecificimpulsive
behaviorsinchildren
IforgotsomethingIneededforclass
Icouldn'tfindsomethingbecausemydesk,locker,or
bedroomwasmessy
Ididnotrememberwhatmyteachertoldmetodo
MymindwanderedwhenIshouldhavebeen
listening

Ilostmytemperathomeoratschool
Iinterruptedotherstudentswhiletheyweretalking.
Isaidsomethingrude
ItalkedbacktomyteacherorparentwhenIwas
upset
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Results:
Self-discipline
predicts final GPA
above and beyond
Intelligence

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 Homework and Report card
Self-Control
classroom conduct grades

Skills/knowledge
acquired in school

Standardized
Skills/knowledge achievement test
Intelligence
acquired outside school scores

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Theperceptionofuncertain,
threateningcircumstances

PerceivedStress
(Spring2011)
.25*** .07*

StressfulLife .05 SelfControl

Events
(Summer2011)
(Fall2010)
.04
.79***
SelfControl
(Fall2010)

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StrategiesforSelfControl

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Gritmeansneverquit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqS35FfcUE 33
Psychologicallydistancingoneselffrom
anangrymemory

Replaytheeventasitunfoldsin Replaytheeventasitunfoldsin
yourimaginationthroughyour VS yourimaginationasyouobserve
owneyes yourdistantself

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reducesnegativeaffect

Kross, E. Duckworth, A.L., Ayduck, O., Tsukayama, E. & Mischel, W. (in press). Emotion. 35
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 Goalsettingandplanning
Goalsetting
Whatspecific goaldoIwanttoachieve?
WhatgoodthingwillhappenifIachievethisgoal?
Whatobstacles standinthewayofmyreachingthisgoal?

Planningwhere,when,andhowyouwillgetaround
oravoidtheobstacles
If itisaTuesdayat6pm,then Iwillgotomybedroom
deskanddomymathhomework.

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Oettingen, Gollwitzer, Duckworth, et al.
 LongitudinalstudyoffifthgradersinHarlem
82 3.8
81 3.7
80 3.6

Conduct
79 3.5
GPA

78 3.4
77 3.3
76 3.2
75 3.1
MCII Control MCII Control

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43.5
Attendance

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42.5

42

41.5

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MCII Control
 Fromstrategiestohabits
Ourvirtuesarehabits as
muchasourvicesour
nervoussystemshavegrown
tothewayinwhichtheyhave
beenexercised,justasasheet
ofpaperoracoat,once
creasedorfolded,tendstofall
foreverafterwardintothe
sameidenticalfolds...

WilliamJames(1899)

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 MCII: Goal Setting and Planning
Todays study wish:

Best outcome:

Obstacle:

If-then plan:
If , then
Obstacle Action
(where and when) (to overcome obstacle)

Think about yesterday. How many times did you use W.O.O.P. yesterday?

Oneor Two Three Four Fiveor

zero more
 Temperamentandpersonality
questionnairesmeasurebehavior

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 BriefSelfControlScale
Ihaveahardtimebreakingbadhabits
Ioftenactwithoutthinkingthroughallthe
alternatives
Isayinappropriatethings
Pleasureandfunsometimeskeepmefrom
gettingworkdone
Ihavetroubleconcentrating
Iamlazy

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 Whatprocessesdetermineself
controlledbehavior?
Capacities(thingsyoucando)
Executivefunction,metacognitivestrategies,
scripts
Information(whatyouperceiveorbelieve)
Schema,implicitbeliefs,cognitivebiases
Motivation(whatyouwantandwantto
want)
Subjectivebenefitsandperceivedcostsof
pursuingtemptationvs.globalgoal

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 Examplecapacity:Executivefunction
Singleexecutivefunctiontaskscorrelatewith
parentorteacherratingsofselfcontrol,r =
.14

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 Motivation
WhatIwant Work
Sloth Interpersonalharmony
Anger Health
Gluttony Futuresavings
Greed(impulsebuying)
Lust Fidelity

WhatIwanttowant

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Unpackingdomainspecificity
inselfcontrol
Impulsive Behavior

Between-individual
variance
Between-individual
variance Within-individual
variance

Within-individual
variance

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 Self-control by Temptation Interaction

6.37
Low self-control
BSCS_A: lower
BSCS_A: mid 50%
Mid self-control
BSCS_A: upper
High self-control
4.65
ImpulsiveLBehavior

2.93

1.21

-0.52
-1.16 -0.16 0.84 1.84

T
Temptation
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Self-control by Perceived Harm Interaction

6.35
Low self-control
BSCS_A: lower
BSCS_A: mid 50%
Mid self-control
BSCS_A: upper
High self-control
5.20
ImpulsiveLBehavior

4.05

2.90

1.75
-2.16 -1.16 -0.16 0.84 1.84

R harm
Perceived
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Temptationisintheeyeofthe
beholder

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Domainspecificimpulsivebehaviorsin
children
IforgotsomethingIneededforclass
Icouldn'tfindsomethingbecausemydesk,locker,or
bedroomwasmessy
Ididnotrememberwhatmyteachertoldmetodo
MymindwanderedwhenIshouldhavebeen
listening

Ilostmytemperathomeoratschool
Iinterruptedotherstudentswhiletheyweretalking.
Isaidsomethingrude
ItalkedbacktomyteacherorparentwhenIwas
upset
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Productivity=SkillxEffort

Skill=TalentxEffort

Productivity=(TalentxEffort)xEffort

Productivity=TalentxEffort2

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 CBQEffortfulControl
Whendrawingorcoloringinabook,shows
strongconcentration
Preparesfortripsandoutingsbyplanningthings
s/hewillneed
Whenbuildingorputtingsomethingtogether,
becomesveryinvolvedinwhats/heisdoing,and
worksforlongperiods
Isgoodatfollowinginstructions
Approachesplacess/hehasbeentoldare
dangerousslowlyandcautiously

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 Eysenck JuniorImpulsiveness
Questionnaire
Doyousaveregularly?(r)
Doyouthinkthatplanningtakesthefunout
ofthings?
Doyougetveryannoyedifsomeonekeeps
youwaiting?
Doyouoftendothingsonthespurofthe
moment?
Doyousometimesgetsorestlessthatyou
cannotsitinachairlong?
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