Florida State University has announced a $4.5 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a study that investigates self-control and how it can be improved.

The funds will enable FSU researcher Alfred R. Mele, the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy, to study self-control from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including neuroscience, social and developmental psychology, and philosophy. To that end, the project will recruit researchers from around the world through a sub-grant competition. Researchers selected through the competition will receive funding to complete either a one-year philosophical or theoretical project or a two-year integrated science and philosophy project.

"Longitudinal studies indicate that people who score high on self-control as children are more successful as adults," said Mele. "It seems that good self-control is beneficial, whereas poor self-control is detrimental."