Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dev Psychol. 2011 Jul;47(4):950-60. doi: 10.1037/a0023786.
The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the importance of task persistence in young adolescence for successful educational and occupational attainment in middle adulthood. Data from age 13 (N = 1,092) and adult age (age 43 for women, N = 569 and age 47 for men, N = 393) were taken from the Swedish longitudinal research program entitled "Individual Development and Adaptation." In line with previous research, task persistence was found to be related to changes in grades between age 13 and age 16, over and above other childhood factors. Task persistence at age 13 was also a significant predictor of both income and occupational level in middle adulthood for the men, controlling for a number of childhood factors (including intelligence), and even when educational attainment in adulthood was taken into account. Finally, task persistence was related to educational attainment in adulthood. The authors suggest that task persistence is a second fundamental factor besides general mental ability, influencing attainment within the area of working life and education. The influence of task persistence is discussed in form of personality-environment selection mechanisms.
本研究的主要目的是探讨青少年时期坚持任务的重要性，这对他们在中年成功获得教育和职业成就至关重要。本研究的数据来自于瑞典纵向研究项目“个体发展与适应”，年龄分别为 13 岁（N=1092）和成年期（女性为 43 岁，N=569；男性为 47 岁，N=393）。与之前的研究一致，坚持任务与 13 岁至 16 岁之间的成绩变化有关，这超过了其他儿童时期的因素。13 岁时的坚持任务也是成年中期男性收入和职业水平的重要预测因素，控制了许多儿童时期的因素（包括智力），甚至在考虑到成年后的教育程度时也是如此。最后，坚持任务与成年后的教育程度有关。作者认为，坚持任务是除了一般智力能力之外的第二个基本因素，影响着工作和教育领域的成就。坚持任务的影响将通过人格-环境选择机制进行讨论。
