ERIC Number: EJ1303683
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0663
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Grit: The Long and Short of It
Morell, Monica; Yang, Ji Seung; Gladstone, Jessica R.; Turci Faust, Lara; Ponnock, Annette R.; Lim, Hyo Jin; Wigfield, Allan
Journal of Educational Psychology, v113 n5 p1038-1058 Jul 2021
"Grit" is defined as passion and perseverance for achieving long-term goals and consists of two proposed subcomponents: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort. It has become a much-discussed construct even though research on its underlying factor structure has produced inconclusive results. Furthermore, grit as measured by its most frequently used measure, the Grit-S, does not clearly define "long term" or include the word "passion." In addition, only a few studies have looked at factor structure variation and predictive validity of grit in different age and cultural groups. We examined, using state of the art multidimensional item response models and structural equation models, the factor structure of both the Grit-S and a newly developed scale (LT-Grit scale) that specifies what is meant by long term. Participants included 1,250 U.S. high school students, 600 U.S. college students, and 500 Korean college students. We found varying factor structures for the Grit-S and a stable one-factor structure for LT-Grit, across age and culture. Perseverance of effort as measured by the Grit-S was the strongest predictor of grades in the three samples. LT-Grit predicted grades only in the U.S. high school and Korean college samples. Thus, there is no evidence that a consistent grit factor or factors exist across age and culture.
Descriptors: Persistence, Goal Orientation, Factor Structure, Predictive Validity, Age Differences, Cultural Differences, Item Response Theory, Structural Equation Models, High School Students, College Students, Foreign Countries, Academic Achievement
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States; South Korea
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1534846
Author Affiliations: N/A