A clash of constructs? Re-examining grit in light of academic buoyancy and future time perspective

Abstract

Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has been found to be a powerful predictor of student success and persistence. Yet, it has been a recently scrutinized construct due to weaknesses in its discriminant and predictive validity. To investigate these issues further, we examined grit, its dimensions (perseverance of effort and consistency of interest), and other motivational factors—academic buoyancy and future time perspective—to test whether they were distinct constructs, and whether they were predictors of academic achievement, incorporating individual differences in gender, ethnicity, and major. The current study revealed that grit positively predicted undergraduates’ GPA (N = 328, Mage = 20.88, SDage = 1.70) over and beyond demographic and other motivational variables. Regarding individual differences, men and women differed on subscales of future time perspective, and Asian Americans reported lower grit compared to White and Hispanic students, despite higher GPA compared to Hispanics. The relevance of the findings is discussed along with implications for research and practice.