A kindergarten boy’s behavior could predict his income as an adult, a new study has found. Kindergarten teachers in the poorest neighborhoods of Montreal rated 920 6-year-old boys using scales measuring inattention, hyperactivity, defiant behavior, aggression and prosociality (the tendency to help someone being hurt, stop quarrels or invite a bystander into a game). Those in the highest one-quarter for scores in prosociality earned an average of about $12,000 more annually than those in the lowest. Although there was a tendency for higher scores in hyperactivity, defiant behavior and aggression to lead to lower income, the effect was not statistically significant. This study, he said, suggests “there is a very clear indication that an intervention early in elementary school will have a long-term impact on earnings.”

Source: New York Times February 13, 2019 22:52 UTC