Self-discipline: A key to success

Self-discipline is a better predictor of academic success than IQ, according to a recent article by Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman in the journal Psychological Science. The study looked at one group of 140 eighth graders and another group of 164 eighth graders in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse magnet school in a Northeast city.

An article by Jay Mathews in the January 17 edition of the Washington Post discusses the study, which found that "highly self-disciplined adolescents outperformed their more impulsive peers on every academic-performance variable, including report card grades, standardized achievement test scores, admission to a competitive high school, and attendance."

For further information, visit the Washington Post website.