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Juniors

25th Aug 2019

Children who throw tantrums are more likely to be rich as adults, study finds

Rebecca O'Keeffe

Interesting.

A new study has found that if your child throws crazy tantrums, they’re more likely to be wealthy as adults.

Weird, right?

The study, which was published by the American Psychological Association, followed the educational habits and job success of children who attended school in Luxembourg.

The research revealed that adults who had been hot-headed as kids actually stayed in school longer, pursued higher levels of education, and made more money.

Silver lining I suppose?

The reasoning behind the theory makes sense.

Psychologists say that traits such as perseverance, passion, and grit tend to result in success.

tantrums

Over 700 12 year olds were surveyed 40 years ago.

The children completed tests for their intelligence and also measures of family socioeconomic status.

The subjects were then contacted once they reached their 50s (40 years on) and were asked about their income and their occupation.

Interestingly, the researchers found that bold kids, who resisted authority, grew up to do very well for themselves in terms of success – compared to their well-behaved peers.

Lead author on the study, Marion Spengler, said:

“One surprising finding was that rule breaking and defiance of parental authority was the best non-cognitive predictor of higher income after accounting for the influence of IQ, parental socioeconomic status, and educational attainment.”

There you have it now.