A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety

It sounds like the statistical basis for this: http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html

Nice! And I'd also add my most favorite PG essay: http://paulgraham.com/determination.html

It's hard to interpret this without a clear sense of what is meant by "self-control".

Probably the same meaning as the Big 5 trait of "conscientiousness": a high dopamine level. These kind of studies basically find that groups with a lot of people in them with undiagnosed ADD/ADHD function poorly.

What does it have to do with self-control if we are only measuring our willingness to submit to being controlled?

well, I'm hosed.