WVU research finds self-control runs in the family

MORGANTOWN, W.Va — When it comes to self-control, adolescents tend to follow the patterns their parents establish, according to West Virginia University psychology research.

Professor Amy Gentzler of the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences led a six-month survey of 213 Appalachian adolescents and their parents, learning about their self-control in areas like health, work and school, money management, leisure activities and relationships. She found that teens’ academic determination and the choices they made about wellness and money almost always reflected their mothers’, fathers’ or both parents’ self-control in similar areas.

The ability to resist immediate temptation in favor of long-term goals, self-control affects people’s academic achievement, physical health, financial stabilit