Self‐control in adolescence predicts forgivingness in middle adulthood

Abstract

Introduction This 33‐year study examined associations between self‐control development in adolescence and forgivingness, i.e., the dispositional tendency to forgive others, in middle adulthood. Methods Participants were 1350 adults aged 45 years (50.6% female). Self‐control was measured yearly from age 12 to 16, while forgivingness was measured at age 45. Results Results indicated significant individual differences in level and change of self‐control across the adolescent years and an average mean‐level increase. Individual differences in level and change in self‐control were independently associated with forgivingness in middle adulthood. Individuals who either entered adolescence with higher self‐control, and/or increased in self‐control during the adolescent years, reported higher scores in forgivingness at age 45 compared to peers. This pattern held even after controlling for gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and conduct problems in adolescence. Conclusion The current findings demonstrate that developmental processes in adolescence are important for individual differences in the dispositional tendency to forgive others in adulthood.

Negative Emotional Reactivity and Somatic Symptoms during Adolescence Predict Adult Health and Wellbeing in Early and Middle Adulthood

“…Past work with the current study sample, for instance, has focused on self-control tendencies during adolescence. Adolescents higher on self-control, as well as those who increased on the disposition over time, were shown to be more forgiving later in middle adulthood (Allemand et al, 2023 ). Similar level and change associations also were shown when predicting relationship and occupational levels later in life (Allemand et al, 2019 ), again with benefits for adolescents who started with and developed greater self-control.…”

“… 1 Previous articles have used data from the LifE-Study to examine the long-term effects of the development of self-control (Allemand et al, 2019 ; Allemand et al, 2023 ), self-esteem (Gruenenfelder-Steiger et al, 2016 ; Steiger et al, 2014 , 2015 ), empathy (Allemand et al, 2015 ), and perceptions of the future (Allemand et al, 2022 ) during adolescence. The constructs investigated in the current study were not investigated in these previous studies.…”