Grit Measures Research Articles

Do Migrants Exhibit More Grit? A Research Note.

Strong expectations exist for the selectivity of migration along key demographic characteristics, such as age, sex, and education, which are often linked to social and economic drivers. Scholars acknowledge, however, that migratory behavior is also likely to be selective on characteristics that are less readily observable. This research note expands the list by examining "grit"-in other words, a measure of perseverance in the face of adversity. We test for a relationship between South African rural-urban migration, net of other standard covariates, and an established composite psychosocial measure of grit. We draw on two waves of survey data originating from a demographic surveillance platform but with respondents followed irrespective of their subsequent geographic mobility. Simple bivariate regressions suggest that grit is strongly associated with migration. Using multivariate models, we continue to detect a statistically significant association of migration with grit in the presence of controls. When the model is further refined to stratify by sex and separate geographic destinations, a sex differential emerges, with grit being more predictive for females. We conclude by suggesting that such findings should encourage broader inquiries that consider grit and other psychological characteristics, particularly investigations that might help further illuminate differentials by the experience of gender.

Grit and academic resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Grit, a non-cognitive skill that indicates perseverance and passion for long-term goals, has been shown to predict academic achievement. This paper provides evidence that grit also predicts student outcomes during the challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic. We use a unique dataset from a digital learning platform in the United Arab Emirates to construct a behavioral measure of grit. We find that controlling for baseline achievement, students who were grittier according to this measure before the pandemic, register lower declines in math and science scores during the coronavirus period. Using machine learning, behavioral data obtained from the platform prior to the pandemic can explain 77% of the variance in academic resilience. A survey measure of grit coming from the same students, on the other hand, does not have significant predictive power over performance changes. Our findings have implications for interventions on non-cognitive skills, as well as how data from digital learning platforms can be used to predict student behavior and outcomes, which we expect will be increasingly relevant as AI-based learning technologies become more common.

A cross-sectional study of academic success measures, grit, and resilience among US dental students.

This study explored themes previously identified as central to holistic professional school success, as related to traditional academic achievement, resilience, and grit measures. This cross-sectional study surveyed third- and fourth-year US dental students. Items addressed themes previously identified as central to professional school success, including need for cognition, patient ownership, collective orientation, grit, and resilience. Traditional academic metrics were also included. Statistical analyses comprised one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), simple linear regression, and stepwise multiple regression procedures. A total of 126 students participated (81% response rate). Collective orientation, need for cognition, patient ownership, and resilience did not significantly correlate with grade point average (GPA), whereas grit did, r=0.29. Need for cognition and patient ownership combined significantly predicted grit with approximately 35% of variance explained. Approximately 25% of variance in resilience scores was accounted for by need for cognition, coupled with collective orientation. Grit and resilience significantly correlated, r=0.59. Grit significantly predicted both traditional and alternative metrics of success among dental students, particularly need for cognition and patient ownership. A high need for cognition is consistent among students who display both grit and resilience. Neither resilience nor the alternative measures of success predicted traditional academic metrics.

Evaluating Within-Network and Between-Network Construct Validity of the Hindi Version of the Grit-Short Scale Among Indian Adolescents

The Grit-short scale measures consistency and perseverance for long-term goals. In the present study, we translated and adapted the Grit-short scale into Hindi (Grit-SH) and examined its within-network and between-network construct validity among Indian adolescents. The participants were 534 senior secondary school students aged 14 – 18 years recruited from five schools across two samples. Grit-SH, along with the brief inventory of thriving and student satisfaction scale, was administered in sample 1 ( N 1 = 310), whereas in sample 2 ( N 2 = 224), the English version of the Grit-short scale was used. Regarding within-network construct validity, the two-dimensional structure of Grit-SH demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data, partially strict invariance against its English version, and good internal consistency reliability. In terms of between-network construct validity, grit demonstrated a significantly positive correlation with student satisfaction and well-being. Overall, findings indicated that the Grit-SH is a valid and reliable measure of grit that researchers and practitioners can use to assess grit among Indian adolescents.

Self-Compassion and Grit in the Context of Social Judgment

Self-compassion and grit are each positively associated with adaptive characteristics, and negatively associated with psychological distress. Limited research exists on the relationship between grit and self-compassion, and there is a paucity of research on the impact of grit on social anxiety. Undergraduate participants ( N = 184) completed online measures of grit, self-compassion, well-being, and psychological distress. They also recalled a recent social situation in which they felt judged and reported state levels of self-compassion. As hypothesized, grit (specifically the perseverance subscale) was related to greater state self-compassion regarding the social judgment situation participants recalled. Further, there was support for self-compassion as a mediator of the relationship between grit and state anxiety. However, how self-compassionate participants reported being in their social stressor was best predicted by trait self-compassion and state anxiety. Finally, the type of social judgment situation mattered: participants were less self-compassionate when they recalled performance situations compared to social interaction situations. Findings suggest continued research on how grit and self-compassion may influence one another over time in the context of social judgment.

Keep going, keep growing: A longitudinal analysis of grit, posttraumatic growth, and life satisfaction in school students under COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students' daily life, but grit could have sustained students' wellbeing by helping them work hard and stay goal-oriented over time despite adversity. Gritty students may also have interpreted COVID-19-related adversity as an opportunity to grow, thus displaying higher levels of post-traumatic growth. In this study, 445 students in grades 6–12 (160 males, Mage = 14.25, SDage = 2.11) completed measures of grit and life satisfaction at the beginning (Time 1) and at the end (Time 2) of the school year, together with a measure of posttraumatic growth. A longitudinal SEM model shows that perseverance positively relates to posttraumatic growth, indirectly favoring life satisfaction at Time 2. In conclusion, perseverance, rather than consistency, appeared to have sustained students' positive adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic. Teaching students how to nurture this quality can have important beneficial effects for their wellbeing under adverse conditions.

What is the best model of grit among junior high students: Model selection, measurement invariance, and group difference

AbstractGrit is a non‐cognitive construct based on personality theory that fosters individuals to perform better and achieve their goals. Previous researchers validated the psychometric properties of grit for adults and older adolescents but ignored that for early adolescents. An inappropriate measurement model may mislead researchers and teachers to misapprehend grit measures. This study aimed to identify the most appropriate grit model for early adolescents. Three factorial models (i.e., two‐factor, one‐factor, and bi‐factor models) were evaluated and compared. Subsequently, we tested the measurement invariance (MI) and mean differences of grit across grade and gender groups. Participants were 672 junior high students (51% boys, aged 12–15) in Taiwan. The results showed that the two‐factor model was the best grit model. This finding revealed that adolescents tend to comprehend grit with two distinct concepts, consistency in interest (CI) and perseverance of effort (PE), instead of a single compound. In addition, the results showed that the two‐factor model retained strong invariance for grade and gender, justifying the comparison of grit scores over grade and gender groups for junior high students. Moreover, we did not find any group difference in the facets of grit by gender and grades. This result showed that grit is a stable personality for junior high students. The relationships between grit constructs and criteria, such as conscientiousness and academic achievements, were tested and discussed.

The Italian Validation of the Brief Self-Control Scale: A Preliminary Analysis

The Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) developed by Tangney, Baumeister, and Boone (2004) is a widely used measure of trait self-control. The present study aimed to validate Italian version of the BSCS. 262 Italian university students completed BSCS along with measures of grit, impulsive behavior, self-esteem, resilience, and psychological distress. 143 of the first sample completed BSCS after three weeks again. Results indicated that the Italian version of the BSCS is one-dimensional as the original BSCS. Good internal consistency and test-retest stability were documented. Convergent and divergent validity of the construct was established with the association between BSCS and measures of grit and impulsive behavior. Furthermore, predictive validity assessment showed that BSCS positively predicted self-esteem and resilience, and negatively predicted psychological distress as expected. In conclusion, findings suggest that the Italian BSCS is a reliable and valid instrument assessing trait self-control in Italian speaking populations.

Comparing the Grit Scales’ Structural Validity and Measurement Invariance Across Educational Attainment and Age

Researchers developed the Original Grit Scale (Grit-O), the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), and the Grit-5 to investigate the role of grit in explaining educational and vocational outcomes. The present study examined the structure and psychometric characteristics of these three measures using data from residents of the United States (n = 1,915) who completed the Grit-O online. We conducted confirmatory factor analyses using Kline’s (2016) method of assessing local fit and measurement invariance testing across five age and four educational attainment groups using a three-indicator approach. The Grit-O single- and two-factor models did not fit the data. However, the Grit-O bifactor model, the Grit-S single-factor and bifactor models, and the Grit-5 demonstrated excellent global and local fit and strong configural, metric, and scalar invariance across age and educational attainment. Although the Grit-S two-factor model fit the data well, it did not have metric invariance across age groups. The bifactor model of the Grit-S produced the best fit of all models tested; however, the parameter estimates for the perseverance of effort subscale were low or negative. Therefore, only the total score and consistency of interests subscale score appeared to be appropriate measures of grit and its components. In contrast, the bifactor fit of the Grit-O indicated that the total score and both subscale scores from that measure provide meaningful information. Overall, our results suggest that researchers and clinicians can confidently employ several measures of grit due to their strong psychometric properties.

You Can't Compare If You Don't Prepare: Differential Item Functioning In Measures of Grit, STEM Self-Regulation, and Motivation

Researchers developing questionnaire measures of personality, motivation, and self-regulation constructs related to students’ achievement and persistence in STEM or other fields rarely have examined whether the items on the measures used are functioning differently across groups, which is necessary for accurate group comparison. The present study assessed differential item functioning (DIF) in two frequently-used measures of such constructs, the Grit-S, the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), and a new measure of long-term grit, using a sample of 1,146 ninth and tenth-grade students in the U.S.A. We also assessed gender and racial differences in the patterns of the relationships among the latent constructs, something rarely reported in the literature. Differences in such patterns indicate that the concurrent validity of the construct scores could vary across different groups. Results indicated that numerous items exhibited gender DIF on the Grit-S but not on the MSLQ or long-term grit measure. There were fewer DIF items across racial groups. Patterns of relations among the variables, in general, were weaker for females than males. There were fewer racial groups differences in the patterns of correlations. We discuss the implications of the DIF findings for future research on group comparisons.

An investigation of the association of grit with performance in accounting courses

Grit has become a buzzword in business, with academic research and popular press purporting that grit may be a better determinant of success than even talent or IQ. The contention is that the greater an individual’s “grittiness” the better their ability to work strenuously toward challenges and to maintain effort and interest over time, which results in success. Accounting courses are broadly considered to be difficult courses and a type where students’ grit would likely aid performance. We investigate whether grit is associated with academic performance in accounting courses, while controlling for learning strategies and motivation. Using survey data from multiple courses throughout the accounting curriculum, we find that grit is positively associated with both short-term and long-term academic performance, although the strength of association varies among the grit measures. Our results suggest instructors should consider grit as a trait positively associated with performance in accounting courses and highlights three popular measures available for assessing grit.

Psychological Stamina and Thinking Style Preferences among First-Year University Students

This study investigated the association between psychological stamina (grit, mindset and hardiness) and thinking style preferences among South African university students. Data were collected from 369 first-year university students using measures of grit, mindset, hardiness and thinking style preferences. The results indicated that different thinking style preferences were related to grit, mindset and hardiness. We argue that thinking styles should be considered as an important variable when supporting first-year students. Additionally, the role of grit and hardiness in student success should be considered in conjunction with the thinking style preferences of students. Avenues for further research are considered.

On Domain-Specific Conceptualization and Measurement of Grit in L2 Learning

As a personality trait, second language (L2) grit—a combination of perseverance and passion for L2 learning—has recently been proposed as a meaningful predictor of learners’ motivational behavior and L2 achievement. The results of a growing body of empirical studies carried out in various L2 contexts have substantiated the power of L2 grit in predicting L2 success. In this paper, we contend that grit and its potential effects on L2 outcomes should be conceptualized and measured in a domain-specific fashion. We argue that a domain-specific measure of grit enhances its predictive and construct validity and better captures its differential effects in various domains and across languages. We then briefly review the findings of existing grit research in L2 contexts with respect to their domain-general versus domain-specific conceptualization of grit. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing several issues raised against domain-general grit and discuss their potential relevance to domain-specific grit research in the context of L2 learning.

Are Gritty People Happier than Others?: Evidence from the United States and South Korea

Grit, which refers to perseverance and passion to pursue long-term goals, has been highlighted as a predictor of better life outcomes, including subjective well-being. For grit to be useful for well-being research, we need to know more about its properties across cultures and determine whether it has a relationship to well-being outcomes beyond other existing psychological measures. Using survey data from the United States and South Korea (N = 1008), this study examines the measurement of grit across cultures as having two dimensions: perseverance of effort and consistency of interest. It then explores the distinctive utility of grit in explaining an individual’s subjective well-being beyond well-established psychological measures such as conscientiousness and sense of control. The results show that gritty people report better subjective well-being; this positive relationship between grit and subjective well-being is largely driven by the perseverance dimension of grit. This dimension accounts for a unique variance in subjective well-being beyond the sense of control in both country samples and variance beyond conscientiousness in the US sample. By contrast, the consistency dimension of grit adds little to our understanding of subjective well-being in either country. Relying on the global grit score, which aggregates the scores of the two dimensions, may obscure the unique role of the perseverance dimension in understanding subjective well-being.

Grit and Peers: An Experimental Study on Peer Effects in Perseverance

Perseverance to accomplish long-term goals is a crucial determinant for success in life. Previous studies elicited self-reported perseverance, also known as grit, using the eponymous survey scale (Grit-S). In a novel lab experiment, we introduce a straight-forward behavioral measure of grit. Participants work on an anagram solving task where grit is quantified as the decision to continue working hard despite failure and challenges. We find that the survey measure of grit is significantly correlated with our behavioral measure. In a further treatment, we test whether individuals look at their peers’ behavior to motivate themselves to endure in the anagram solving task. We find that the presence of peers increase their observers’ perseverance, while being observed does not significantly alter behavior. In a third treatment, we investigate the motives to self-select into the role of an observing participant or that of a participant that is observed and which kind of peers individuals deliberately choose. Our findings provide novel insights

To Have What It Takes: A Multi-Tiered Psychological Resource Model of First-Generation College Student Success

First generation students typically show more difficulties adapting to academic studies and lower attainments than their counterparts hailing from academic families. While the literature offers insights into factors associated with these outcomes, there is little understanding of the processes underlying this phenomenon. This study presented and tested a model combining demographic, individual level and interpersonal level resources, all drawn from the field of positive psychology, to account for first generation and non-first generation students’ academic attainment in college. A sample of 199 students attending college in Germany, 38% of whom reported being first generation students, filled out a demographic questionnaire, including a report of the GPA, as well as measures of grit, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence and sense of coherence and social support. The results support a double mediation model that suggests that personal resources and social support mediate the association between background variables (gender), being a first-generation student and college GPA. The results are discussed in the context of positive psychology theories and our existing knowledge of the challenges first generation students encounter in academia.

Lift the Grit’s Veil: The Literature Review and Prospects of Grit

In the era of the Internet, telecommuting, virtual office and other work modes are increasingly popular. Telecommuting and other working modes give employees more freedom and flexibility in work, which reduces the direct monitoring from the outside. The complex network information will also bring interference and task interruption. At this time, how to maintain the focus on the task and self-motivation becomes particularly important. Grit refers to the perseverance and passion for long-term goals. As a variable of self-driven orientation and future perspective, it is a psychological resource to boost the realization of goals. Firstly this paper analyzes the concept, variable differentiation and measurement of grit. Secondly, the positive influence of grit on the realization of goals is discussed. Finally, this paper discusses the practical significance and future research prospects.

Psychometric properties of developed and transadapted grit measures across cultures: a systematic review

A growing interest in grit, which is defined as passionate perseverance for long-term goals, has included interest in quantifying it. Grit is typically measured via a self-report questionnaire, either with the Original Grit Scale (Grit-O) or the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). However, there is a paucity of systematic evidence of the psychometrics of translated and adapted, or transadapted, versions of the grit measures across settings. This study systematically reviewed the literature on the psychometric properties of grit measures available and used across cultures. We searched the PsycINFO, Scopus, ScienceDirect and ProQuest electronic databases for articles published in English up to October 2019. This review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria, which included eight studies on newly developed grit measures and 12 studies which transadapted the existing Grit-O and the Grit-S to various languages and contexts. In the first category, despite being newly developed, the grit measures included items that were derived from the Grit-O or the Grit-S. These measures show promise, however, remain to be tested outside of the initial conception setting, thus limiting generalization. In the latter category, transadapted versions of the Grit-O and Grit-S returned with acceptable reliability and validity indexes, indicating for the measures to purportedly measure grit. However, factor analyses showed varying factor structures, suggesting grit manifestations to be non-universal and may be explained by cultural differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. Further validation studies, as well as the development of culture-specific grit measures, are implored.

Grit and conscientiousness: Another jangle fallacy

When grit was first introduced, it gained popularity before basic psychometric questions were fully explored. One critical issue is how distinct grit is from the Big Five personality trait conscientiousness. Most studies have examined correlations between grit and conscientiousness, rather than conducting item-level factor analysis. This study examined the extent to which grit and conscientiousness are empirically distinct, and which predict students’ grades. A diverse sample of adolescents completed measures of grit and conscientiousness. MIRT-based confirmatory factor analyses showed that grit and conscientiousness’ factor structures strongly overlap. Structural equation modeling showed that conscientiousness and the perseverance of effort component of grit predicted students’ grades more strongly than consistency of interest. These findings indicate that grit and conscientiousness are not unique constructs.

Because of you I did not give up – Peer effects in perseverance

• We measure peer effects in individuals’ perseverance in a strenuous work task. • Perseverance in the task is significantly correlated with a survey measure of grit. • Observing a peer increases perseverance independently of initial perseverance. • Inherent levels of perseverance matter more in individual work situations than in peer situations. It has been shown that both perseverance as well as peer effects affect performance. In our experiment, we investigate the interplay between these two factors. Participants work on a wordplay task where we quantify perseverance as the decision to continue working hard in the face of challenges. We find that persevering on the task is significantly correlated with the psychological questionnaire measure of grit (Duckworth et al., 2007). In an additional treatment, we provide participants with information about a peer’s contemporaneous perseverance on the task. This significantly increases participants’ perseverance on the task independently of their perseverance as measured in the questionnaire, suggesting that it does not only depend on individuals’ inherent traits, but can also be increased by peers.