Conscientiousness: Origins in childhood?

Abstract

In this review, we evaluate developmental and personality research with the aim of determining if the personality trait of conscientiousness can be identified in children and adolescents. After concluding that conscientiousness does emerge in childhood, we discuss the developmental origins of conscientiousness with a specific focus on self-regulation, academic motivation, and internalized compliance/internalization of standards. Based on the accumulated body of evidence, we conclude that self-regulation fosters conscientiousness later in life, both directly and via academic motivation and internalized compliance with norms. We argue that elements of conscientiousness are evident by early childhood, self-regulation skills are likely a core developmental component of conscientiousness, and despite the contribution of heredity to the aforementioned aspects of functioning, environmental factors likely contribute to conscientiousness.

Conscientiousness, health, and aging: The Life Course of Personality Model.

“…A strong start at school often places students in upper tracks (as a matter of explicit policy or, increasingly, de facto), which, in turn, promotes educational achievements independent of the children's "inherited" aptitudes, preferences, and temperaments (Entwisle, Alexander, & Olson, 2004). Eisenberg, Duckworth, Spinrad, and Valiente (2014) noted the central role that children's self-regulation plays in the emergence of C. Given this developmental pattern, it is unsurprising that children's self-control and self-regulatory skills predict health later in life through a variety of pathways including decreasing the likelihood of succumbing to "adolescent snares," increasing the likelihood of engaging in a wide variety of health promoting behaviors throughout childhood and adolescence, and fostering the emergence of robust psychological, social and cultural capital.…”

“…Adolescent and adult C likely emerge from childhood temperament, especially sense of constraint, effortful control, and the inhibition of impulsive tendencies, as well as exposure to C behaviors in parents and other socializers (Eisenberg et al, 2014;Hampson, 2012). A substantial body of evidence suggests that childhood disinhibition and impulsivity are associated with externalizing behaviors, including life course persistent antisocial behaviors, and alcohol and substance use beginning in adolescence (see Roberts et al, 2009, for an overview).…”

Adolescent conscientiousness predicts lower lifetime unemployment.

“…Some studies have clarified the direction of influence by Running Head: ADOLESCENT PERSONALITY AND UNEMPLOYMENT 6 examining traits measured before the respondents accumulated substantial labor market experience; for example Daly, Delaney, Egan, and Baumeister (2015) showed that more selfcontrolled children tend to experience less unemployment as adults. Self-controlled children are thought to better internalize and comply with standards and norms for behavior in order to become more conscientious adolescents (Eisenberg, Duckworth, Spinrad, & Valiente, 2014).…”

“…For instance, school programs which promote attentional control, patience and forwardlooking behavior (Diamond & Lee, 2011) may be effective ways of producing lasting changes in conscientiousness (Eisenberg et al, 2014). This may in turn reduce later unemployment levels, although there is not yet strong evidence that such programs improve long-run labor market outcomes.…”

From early attachment to engagement with learning in school: The role of self-regulation and persistence.

“…As reviewed by Eisenberg, Duckworth, Spinrad, & Valiente (2013) in this issue, there is clear evidence that the broad constellation of behaviors and attitudes that typically fall under the common latent factor of conscientiousness in adults can also be identified at least at school-age if not earlier (Goldberg, 2001;that there are consistent and coherent links between aspects of temperament-particularly effortful control and positive affectivity-and conscientiousness in childhood (Halverson et al, 2003). While one might consider childhood personality and temperament to be partially overlapping sets of indicators best conceptualized at the same level of analysis, a causal-developmental perspective encourages a consideration of more complex inter-relationships, beyond the statistical correlations among trait indicators at a given point in time.…”