The Stabilty of Low Self-Control From Kindergarten Through First Grade

Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime has earned widespread empirical attention testing the proposition that low self-control is the causal antecedent of crime and analogous behaviors. Research consistently finds that low self-control is a robust predictor of antisocial behavior. As a result, studies have started to examine other propositions stated in Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory. Even so, research has been slow to examine the stability of low self-control over different sections of the life course. The current paper addresses this gap in the literature and examines the stability of self-control from kindergarten through first grade. The results of our structural equation models reveal that low self-control is a highly stable trait (stability estimates range between .84 and .96) in early childhood. We conclude with the theoretical implications of our findings.