The relationship between self-control and academic achievement: A meta-analysis investigation

Many studies have reported a significant relationship between self-control and academic achievement, although the strength of this relationship varies across studies. Moderator factors that influence the relationship between the two variables have yet to be clearly defined. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims further to explore the relationship between self-control and academic achievement and investigate moderating factors that may affect the strength of the relationship. The study involved 70 samples drawn from 16 primary studies published between 2005 and 2018. Data analysis was conducted using a random effects model with a significance level of α = 5%. In addition to the main analysis, six moderator variables were analyzed, namely education level, geographical region, self-control measurement tool, academic achievement measurement tool, and publication year. All analyses were conducted with the help of JASP software. The analysis of the 70 samples showed a moderate positive relationship between self-control and academic achievement (r = 0.32, p 0.001). Analysis of the moderator variables showed that all of these variables had a significant effect on the strength of the relationship between self-control and academic performance. Based on education level, the positive relationship was stronger in studies involving mixed participants and weakest in studies involving university students. The relationship was also stronger in studies involving students in the United States compared to students in Africa and Europe, using the ISC scale to measure self-control compared to the BSCS and other scales and using grade point average (GPA) as a measure of academic achievement compared to other measures. Potential explanations and implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.