{"id":4335,"date":"2006-01-23T18:00:54","date_gmt":"2006-01-23T22:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/01\/23\/monday-miscellawnea-self-disc"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:14","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:14","slug":"monday-miscellawnea-self-discipline-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/01\/23\/monday-miscellawnea-self-discipline-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"monday miscellawnea (self-discipline edition)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yes, it’s a slow news day.  But here are  a few nits worth<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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picking.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"blackboard<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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It’s often a cheapshot when someone complains “we didn’t<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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need a study” to confirm fact X or theory Y.  But, I am <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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amazed that two research psychologists thought they <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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were adding useful information to our nation’s efforts to <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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improve education with <\/FONT>a study<\/FONT><\/A> on how self-discipline <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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affects academic achievement.  As the Washington Post<\/EM> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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reported<\/FONT><\/A>, on Jan. 17, 2006 (with no note of irony), the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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team of Angela L. Duckworth and Martin E.P. Seligman <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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say:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“Underachievement among American youth is <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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often blamed on inadequate teachers, boring <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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textbooks, and large class sizes. We suggest <\/EM><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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another reason for students falling short of their <\/EM><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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intellectual potential: their failure to exercise <\/EM><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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self-discipline. . . .  <\/EM>[emphasis added]<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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“We believe that many of America’s children <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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have trouble making choices that require them <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term gain, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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and that programs that build self-discipline may <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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be the royal road to building academic achievement.”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Go here for the full study: “<\/FONT>Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ<\/FONT><\/A> in <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents,” Psycho-<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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logical Science, Vol. 16: 12, Page 939  (Dec. 2005). <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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D&S believe you can teach self-disicpline, but many experts <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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are skeptical about that, and about just what they were actually <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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measuring in their study. (see the Comments at the British Psy-<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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chological Society Research Digest <\/FONT>weblog<\/FONT><\/A>, Dec. 9, 2005). <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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The WP<\/EM> says Duckworth is teaching her 4-year-old daughter <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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self-discipline and delayed gratification at home, by allowing <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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her only one piece of Halloween candy per day.  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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                                                                          \"blackboard<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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Our two cents: (a) yes, of course, if your work more at some-<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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thing, or show up at all, you’ll almost always do better; (b) SD <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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won’t beat IQ in an environment where virtually everyone has <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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self-discipline; (c) SD beats IQ at many schools because the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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academic standards are so low — learning a few facts that you <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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wouldn’t know without studying earns you good grades; and <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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(d) the Halloween candy meanie is creating a Candy Sneak, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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and maybe a Candy Addict.

<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"microphoneG\" Our local public <\/FONT>radio station<\/FONT><\/A> usually has intelligent news <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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copy.<\/FONT>This afternoon, however, talking about real estate prices in <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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one <\/FONT>community, the announcer twice said [close paraphrase]  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“If you <\/EM>sold your house there, now, you probably couldn’t <\/EM><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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afford to buy another <\/EM>one<\/EM>.”  <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Am I missing something?  Didn’t the seller’s house also go <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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up in price, before he went to buy another one down the street? <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Copy editor, where were you?  Anchorperson?<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/EM> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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\"wolf  Blawg Balawney:  I was pleased that Jonathan B. Wilson included
our essay<\/FONT><\/A> “let’s make the word ‘blawg’ obsolete” in Blawg Review<\/EM> #41
<\/A>today.  However, Jonathan, like the Editor of Blawg Review<\/EM> <\/FONT>last week<\/FONT>,<\/A>
seems to <\/FONT>confuse<\/FONT><\/A> “the rise of blawgs by lawyers wishing to promote
their practices” with an increased acceptance of “blawg” terminology. 
As we said in our update to the Essay, “Perhaps, they both attended
the Strawman Night School of Legal Advocacy.”<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Thanks to <\/FONT>Kierkegaard Lives<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> for culling our anti-“Blawg” Essay <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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from the Blawg Review<\/EM> #41 list.  And, thanks for highlighting the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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existence of <\/FONT>Patriot Search<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> — “A search engine that works much <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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like google but has the added advantage of sending your personal <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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information directly to the government for their perusal.”<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"MichiganG\" While we’ve been fretting over little things,<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Ed Markowski<\/FONT><\/A> has been living and breathing <\/FONT>sports — from <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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football, to basketball, to <\/FONT>baseball and more:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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 booed<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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   i’m just happy<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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        somebody cares<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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                the roar of the crowd<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                    through a transistor radio…<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                     summer solitude<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/DIV><\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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                                 last second field goal<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                                      my bookie<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                                          wins again<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"quarterback\" <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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              touchdown<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                  momentum shifts<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                     to the bookie<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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rain delay<\/EM><\/DIV>
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the length of the lines <\/EM><\/DIV>
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at the stadium restrooms<\/EM><\/DIV>
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<\/EM> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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long rebound <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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crossing mid-court <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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she crosses my mind <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"BBallGuysN\"<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Indiana farm <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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one tractor <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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three hoops <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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nude beach
the jet ski instructress
tells me to “concentrate”<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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ed markowski<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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“rain delay” – games<\/EM> (pawEprint 78, Nov. 2004) <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                                                                                                                                                           \"infielderG\"<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, it’s a slow news day.  But here are  a few nits worth picking.     It’s often a cheapshot when someone complains “we didn’t need a study” to confirm fact X or theory Y.  But, I am amazed that two research psychologists thought they were adding useful information to our nation’s efforts to improve education […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-17V","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4335"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12817,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4335\/revisions\/12817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}