The notion of self-control figures prominently in the study of adolescence. Most notably, deficiencies in self-control play an important role in psychopathology, and it tends to be the centerpiece of research conducted by other names, such as delay of gratification, self-regulation, impulsivity, and self-discipline (see Strayhorn 2002). These terms help highlight the centrality of self-control to healthy development, such as impulsivity and its place in impulse control problems, conduct disorders, and addictions. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of self-control in adolescent development.
Although the notion of self-control, in its different guises, is ubiquitous in the study of adolescence and central to healthy development, “Self-control Theory” generally refers to the groundbreaking work of Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990). In their conceptualization of a general theory of crime, they contend that all deviance (including crime and delinquency) can be subsumed under...
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Levesque, R.J.R. (2011). Self-Control Theory. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1695-2_597
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