Multiple growth trajectories of self-control among U.S. early elementary children

The current study examines (1) if multiple growth trajectories of self-control exist in early childhood, and (2) if child and family characteristics significantly predict the grow rate of self-control in each trajectory. Four... [ view full abstract ]

The current study examines (1) if multiple growth trajectories of self-control exist in early childhood, and (2) if child and family characteristics significantly predict the grow rate of self-control in each trajectory. Four waves of data (Kindergarten-fall, Kindergarten-spring, 1^st grade-fall, and 1^st grade-spring) from a public-used database (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study K: 2011) were used. Subjects included a nationally representative sample of 3010 children aged 56.75 months to 90.77 months at Kindergarten-fall. Growth mixture model was used to examine the growth trajectories of self-control. Expectation-maximization algorithm was used to estimate parameters. Bayesian information criteria, Lo, Mendell, and Rubin likelihood ratio test, and the bootstrap likelihood ration test were used to compare competing models to determine the number of latent classes.

Results suggest a five-group growth mixture model provided the best fit to data. The first group of children (50.73%) entered kindergarten with relatively high levels of self-control and continued to develop in this area through 1^st grade. In the second (10.30%) and third group (17.41%), children’s self-control was relatively high when they entered kindergarten, but then decreased through 1^st grade. Specifically, within the 2^nd group, children with disabilities had lower self-control when they entered kindergarten. Within the 3^rd group, the self-control of children from poorer families decreased more rapidly over time. The fourth group of children (14.39%) entered kindergarten with relatively low levels of self-control, but developed rapidly such that by the end of 1^st grade, their self-control level was among the highest. Within this group, girls had lower levels of self-control as they entered kindergarten, but developed significantly faster than boys as they aged. The final group (7.18%) maintained relatively low self-control from kindergarten through 1^st grade. In this group, Hispanic children had higher level of self-control when they entered kindergarten.