ABSTRACT

Adolescent self-control is important for the pursuit of long-term goals and predicts later outcomes, but motivating self-control is essential for subjective wellbeing throughout life. We investigated long-term implications of the interaction between adolescent aspirations and self-control on subjective wellbeing in early old age. We analysed longitudinal population-based birth cohort data spanning 60 years. Data from 1,727 participants, which were drawn from the 1946 British birth cohort, were analysed. Teachers assessed self-control and mental health in participants aged 13–15, and participants prioritised their intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations at 16. At age 60–64 years, subjective wellbeing was self-reported using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results revealed a significant interaction between adolescent aspirations and self-control on life satisfaction in early old age. Among adolescents with self-control problems, higher intrinsic aspirations predicted better life satisfaction. Thus, for adolescents with self-control problems, intrinsic aspirations-oriented educational and psychological approaches may improve later life satisfaction.

摘要

青少年自我控制对于追求长期目标和预测未来结果很重要，但激励自我控制对于一生的主观幸福感至关重要。我们调查了青少年期盼和自我控制之间的相互作用对老年早期主观幸福感的长期影响。我们分析了跨越 60 年的基于人口的纵向出生队列数据。对来自 1946 年英国出生队列的 1,727 名参与者的数据进行了分析。教师评估 13-15 岁参与者的自我控制和心理健康，参与者在 16 岁时优先考虑他们的内在和外在愿望。在 60-64 岁，使用生活满意度量表自我报告主观幸福感。结果显示，青少年期盼和自我控制对老年早期生活满意度的影响显着。在有自我控制问题的青少年中，更高的内在愿望预示着更好的生活满意度。因此，对于有自我控制问题的青少年，以内在愿望为导向的教育和心理方法可能会提高以后的生活满意度。