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Passion and grit in the pursuit of long-term personal goals in college students
Abstract
Passions are strong motivational forces that influence the direction, intensity, and quality of long-term goal-pursuit. Passionate individuals thus have the potential to display high levels of perseverance of effort and consistency toward their interests – that is, to be gritty – with regard to the personal goals they set for themselves. The present research investigated whether passion in students was related to perseverance of effort and maintenance of interests toward the personal goals that students had set for themselves at the beginning of an academic semester. This study also investigated if the facets of grit were related to progress on personal goals, as well as to changes in subjective well-being and symptoms of depression over the semester in a sample university students (N = 425). Results showed that harmonious passion was only positively associated with the facet of perseverance of effort. In contrast, obsessive passion was negatively associated with both perseverance and consistency of interests facets of grit. In turn, only perseverance of effort was associated with progress on personal goals and with changes in well-being over the semester. The implications of these findings for long-term goal pursuit in an educational setting are discussed in light of the passion and grit literatures.
... Many studies have found that PE plays a dominant role in predicting SWB (Datu et al., 2016;Disabato et al., 2019;Jiang et al., 2019;Kwon, 2021;Verner-Filion et al., 2020), as high levels of PE lead to happiness and better mental health (Hou et al., 2022;Jiang et al., 2020;Jin & Kim, 2017). Additionally, PE enables individuals to overcome challenges, reduce pressure, and experience a sense of life satisfaction upon achieving their goals (Kwon, 2021;Lee, 2017), which is particularly important for coping with the challenges of L3 learning (Henry, 2023;Khajavy et al., 2021). ...
... Additionally, based on an overview of earlier research, it is evident that PE has an impact, both on SWB and creativity, while SWB also influences creativity (Datu et al., 2016;Diener et al., 2018;Disabato et al., 2019;Jiang et al., 2019;Kwon, 2021;Tamannaeifar & Motaghedifard, 2014;Verner-Filion et al., 2020). Building upon these established links, it is plausible to assume that SWB might mediate the association between PE and creativity. ...
... It should be pointed out that students' HP has been reported to be positively associated with their PE toward the personal goals they had set for themselves at the beginning of an academic semester (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). However, to the best of our knowledge, little research has been conducted on the relationship between HP and PE within the FL learning context, and whether PE affects the HP of L3 learners also requires further verification. ...
... This combination (i.e., perseverance and passion) in conjunction with a higher-order goal-seeking approach distinguishes grit from similar constructs such as self-efficacy or self-concept (Arco-Tirado, Fernández-Martín, & Hoyle, 2018). People who are gritty tend to exert oneself towards the consecution of goals that result of interest to themselves and remain focused on this over time, regardless of setbacks, difficulties, or boredom (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007;Verner-Filion, Schellenberg, Holding, & Koestner, 2020). When applied to educational contexts, it has been shown to be a strong predictor of students' achievement (Eskreis-Winkler, Shulman, Beal, & Duckworth, 2014;Park, Yu, Baelen, Tsukayama, & Duckworth, 2018;Wolters & Hussain, 2015). ...
... Nevertheless, this has not been the common trend followed by researchers as evidenced by the small number of studies conceiving grit as an outcome. As grit encounters a motivational force that drives behavior towards ones' selfrealisation and flourishment (Duckworth et al., 2007;Vainio & Daukantaitė, 2016;Verner-Filion et al., 2020), and given grit's capacity to be alterable, teachers can assume a leading role in the development of grit. ...
... Moreover, since some items from the scale used to measure need thwarting have no identification of who causes such feeling (e.g., "In math class I feel incompetent") this may not necessarily equate to need thwarting thus, results should be interpreted with caution. Finally, grit as an outcome was measured as a combination of its both features (perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) thus, future research could examine the effects that need satisfaction could have independently on each facet (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). ...
The aim of the present study was to examine the predictive relation between teachers' motivational appeals (i.e., messages that appeal to a certain kind of motivation) and students' basic psychological need profiles and how the different profiles relate with students' well-being and grit. A total of 655 secondary students participated in the study. To determine the number of profiles a person-centered approach was followed. Results of the latent profile analysis revealed four profiles regarding student's need experiences: thwarted, fulfilled, low fulfilment and neutral profiles. Students whose teacher relied on autonomous motivational appeals were more likely to belong to the most adaptive profile (i.e., fulfilled), whereas students whose teacher relied on amotivational appeals were more likely to belong to the most non-adaptive profile (i.e., thwarted). Moreover, students belonging to the adaptive profiles reported higher levels of well-being and grit. The present findings highlight a resource for teachers to satisfy students' needs, well-being, and grit.
... Duckworth and Gross (2014) argue that gritty individuals can adjust and find new lower-level goals, when one is blocked, in order to successfully progress towards their superordinate goal. This implicates a certain level of flexibility, which is also a defining characteristic of harmonious passion, as opposed to the obsessive kind (Verner-Filion, Schellenberg, Holding, & Koestner, 2020). ...
... Similar to the results found in the elite group, a moderate positive correlation was found between harmonious passion and grit (r = .56), thus underscoring the proposed positive effect of having a harmonious passion for long-term engagement in the sport (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). This might be especially important for junior athletes, whose main goal of becoming a professional has not yet been achieved. ...
... Displaying passion for achieving excellent results in an activity gives the individual direction and motivation towards a specific goal, while grit lets you persist and keep going in the face of challenges. For professional football players, passion for the athletic activity might be essential for the development of their career, even in the face of challenges, and while reaching for higher achievement goals (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). ...
The main goal of the study was to explore the relationship between passion, grit and mindset in a group of football players in Norway. The sample had 49 participants. In two different groups in relation to age and level. Sogndal elite team (N = 22) (Elite) and Sogndal Junior team (N = 27) (Junior). To assess the level of passion the passion scale was used, an eight-item scale. To measure grit the GritS scale was used. The scale has 8 items. Mindset was measured with the Theories of Intelligence Scale (TIS). The scale has 8-items. To measure harmonious and obsessive passion The Passion scale was used. The results show that the elite team did have the highest score in four out of five factors. Significant difference between elite and Junior was, however, not found. The results indicate significant correlations between the variables; passion-grit (r = 0.418, p < .01), passion-harmonious passion (r = 0.624, p < .01), grit-mindset (r = 0.309, p < .05) and grit-harmonious passion (r = 0.473, p < .01). Elite: a significant correlation for the variables passion-harmonious passion (r = 0.558, p < .01), grit and harmonious passion (r = 0.440, p < .05) and harmonious-obsessive passion (r =. 608, p < .01). Junior: a significant correlation for the variables passion-grit (r = 0.647, p < .01), passion-harmonious passion (r =. 702, p < .01), and grit-harmonious passion (r = 0.558, p < .01). Fischer r-to-z transformation indicate significant difference between elite and junior group for the correlation passion-grit (p = .04) and harmonious-obsessive passion (p = .01). The findings are discussed in relation to previous research exploring the relationships between passion, grit and mindset in achievement contexts. Consequently, the differences found in association between passion and grit, might imply that different personality traits may be characteristic for football players at different levels.
... Duckworth et al., 2007;Duckworth & Quinn, 2009); (2) the effect of grit on individual achievement and personal goals (e.g. Christopoulou et al., 2018;Jiang et al., 2023;Lam & Zhou, 2019;Verner-Filion et al., 2020); and (3) the role of grit in motivation theories and its influence on self-efficacy, achievement goal orientations, and self-regulated learning (e.g. Chen et al., 2018;Karlen et al., 2019;Wolters & Hussain, 2015). ...
... brain development through deliberate practices); and (3) emotionally (i.e. positive emotions and harmonious passion) (Dweck et al., 2014;Hwang & Nam, 2021;Khajavy et al., 2021;Teimouri et al., 2022;Verner-Filion et al., 2020). In particular, Chamot (2018) underscored the importance of incorporating selfregulated learning strategies and intrinsically challenging tasks into language content. ...
Approaches to learning a second/foreign language can be affected by such individual differences as personality traits, motivational variables, and task difficulty. Personality traits have been proven to influence academic achievement, but their effects on motivation and language learning approaches remain unanswered. The first purpose of the study aims to investigate whether L2 grit predicts university students' learning approaches and how far expectancy of success and task difficulty perception mediate the relationship between L2 grit and the learning approaches. This study also examines the extent to which English proficiency has an indirect effect on the learning approaches. Five hundred eighty-six EFL university students taking English courses in Taiwan participated in the study. The structural model showed that perseverance of effort directly, strongly, and positively predicted deep strategies, and the mediation analysis revealed a partially mediated effect of expectancy of success. By contrast, consistency of interest directly and negatively predicted surface strategies, and the mediation analysis revealed a partially mediated effect of task difficulty perception. Students' English proficiency has an indirect effect on surface strategies through the mediation of expectancy of success.
... Passion is present in educational settings (Ruis-Alfonso, & Leon, 2016;Vallernad et al., 2003) producing significant outcomes, such as psychological well-being (Ruis-Alfonso, & Leon, 2016;St-Louis et al., 2018). More specifically, research has shown that HP for studying positively contributed to students' happiness, vitality, life satisfaction and repeated experiences of positive affect (Russeau et al., 2008;St-Louis et al., 2018;Verner-Filion et al., 2020). Moreover, HP for studies was positively increased energy (vigor and intensity) during engagement in educational activities , predictive performance through adaptive mastery goals . ...
... This profile has an association on students' achievement (students reported the highest GPA) and students' happiness. Such an adaptive profile is , test anxiety levels (Mocklinghoff et al., 2021), academic emotions (Kamtsios & Karagiannopoulou, 2020;Karagiannopoulou et al., 2020;Postareff et al., 2017) and passion (Vallerand, 2012;Verner-Filion et al., 2020) with academic achievement and students' well-being-happiness. Such a profile may be exhibited by undergraduates with a strong growth mindset, a hardiness mindset. ...
The purpose of the study was to investigate undergraduates' profiles, taking into account personality traits (academic hardiness and test anxiety), motivational factors (passion for studies) and affective experiences (pos-itive and negative affect). The study explored differences in outcomes such as happiness and grade point average (GPA) scores among student profiles. The sample comprised of 293 undergraduates, studying in a social science department. Participants completed the following scales: (a) Revised Academic Hardiness Scale (RAHS), (b) Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI), (c) Passion scale, (d) Positive and Negative Affect scale (PANAS), (e) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). Academic achievement was measured using students' GPA. Results from hierarchical cluster analysis (which was used for clustering undergraduates into homogenous groups) revealed three profiles: (a) hardy, passionate and non-anxious undergraduates, emotionally positive , (b) anxious-committed, mid-passionate undergraduates, experiencing low positive and mid-negative affect and (c) low hardy, unpassionate and mid-anxious undergraduates, experiencing both positive and negative affect. These profiles were differentially related to student happiness and GPA scores. Hardy, passionate and non-anxious with positive affect undergraduates reported the highest GPA and happiness scores. Results of the study are discussed, practical implications, limitations and future research directions are presented.
... Although scholars consider grit a factor that rarely changes, growth mindset is more focused Teaching and Supervision in Counseling 2023 Vol 5, Iss 1 on malleable factors (i.e., effort levels). The notion that grit is intrinsically linked to passion for the long-term goal is an important consideration (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). In research universities, the focus on publications and grant funding is typically the foundation of success (Ransdell et al., 2021), yet focusing solely on productivity could impact grit, due to the loss of interest and passion for the long-term goal (Verner-Filion et al., 2020) (e.g., tenure, research interests). ...
... The notion that grit is intrinsically linked to passion for the long-term goal is an important consideration (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). In research universities, the focus on publications and grant funding is typically the foundation of success (Ransdell et al., 2021), yet focusing solely on productivity could impact grit, due to the loss of interest and passion for the long-term goal (Verner-Filion et al., 2020) (e.g., tenure, research interests). Since counselor education research is founded on a practitionerscholar model (Balkin & Kleist, 2017), it is possible that the direct clinical implications of this research serve as a protective factor to maintain grit. ...
Abstract
Counselor educators are expected to engage in research and mentor doctoral students, highlighting the importance of competency in both areas. Grit predicts positive work outcomes, and we found no studies on grit in relation to counselor educator success measures. We wanted to understand the role of grit in counselor education productivity levels and necessary competencies. We recruited counselor educators at CACREP-accredited institutions with doctoral programs. We hypothesized that grit would predict both mentoring competencies and publication rates, mediated by research competencies. We tested a model with counselor educators (N = 110) and found that the relationship between grit, as measured by the Short Grit Scale, and mentoring competency, as measured by the Mentoring Competency Assessment, and the relationship between grit and number of total career publications were both partially mediated by research competencies, as measured by the Research Competencies Scale. Thus, grit is directly and indirectly related to publications and mentoring competency. Implications for counselor educators include maintaining grit and how to use self-assessment of research and mentoring competency to increase productivity.
Public Significance Statement
Our findings demonstrate that research competency partially mediates the relationship between grit and both mentorship competencies and number of publications. As such, this study provides evidence that grit is fundamentally related to factors associated with faculty success directly and indirectly. Counselor educators and doctoral students can use these results to self-examine their grittiness, considering how their long-term goals match productivity measures at their institutions.The results of this study will hopefully empower counselor educators and doctoral students to conduct research that aligns with their interests and continued efforts toward those projects, both aspects of grittiness.
... Passions are strong motivational forces that influence the direction, intensity, and quality of long-term goal-pursuit. Passionate individuals thus have the potential to display high levels of perseverance of effort and consistency toward their intereststhat is, to be gritty-regarding the personal goals they set for themselves (Verner-Filion, et al., 2020). ...
This study generally aimed to identify the demographic profile and the levels of procrastination and academic grit of selected psychology and teacher education students at the Cavite State University Imus Campus. It also aimed to examine the significant relationship between the variables among the respondents. This study was conducted during the second semester of academic year 2022-2023 until second semester of academic year 2023-2024. The researchers utilized descriptive-correlational design. Furthermore, the respondents in this study were selected three hundred twenty-seven (327) Psychology and Education major students of Cavite State University Imus Campus. The selection of the respondents was done through non-random sampling specifically quota sampling technique, where the researchers selected respondents based on their specific attribute/characteristic, which students who take board courses. The instrumentation used by the researchers was the Lay’s Procrastination Scale and Academic Grit Scale which both underwent reliability testing. Data Analysis involved Frequency, Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, Chi Square of Independence, Chi Square Goodness of Fit, and Spearman Rho Correlation. Findings obtained from the data collected have led to the conclusion that there is no significant relationship between the demographic profile, procrastination, and academic grit of the respondents; therefore, it signifies that procrastination and academic grit may be influenced more by various factors, including one’s motivation, habits or behaviors, personality, and time management skills. On the other hand, in terms of procrastination and academic grit, the result showed that there is a significant relationship between them, which signifies that academic grit has a crucial role in combating procrastination habits of the students. Based on the results, majority of the respondents displayed low level of procrastination which signifies that students who are enrolled in board courses tend to be effective in organizing their time and efforts. Students may also have the ability to adapt in changing situations and confident in one’s ability to perform academic tasks. Thus, students taking board courses may have clear goals such as passing the board exam which motivate them to stay on track and avoid procrastination. On the other hand, majority of the respondents displayed high level of academic grit which signifies that despite the hardships that college students faced, they still tend to work hard and stick to their long- term goals. Therefore, guidance program plan modules were proposed to mitigate procrastination tendencies and foster academic grit of the students.
... The involvement of parents and the community in educational activities, such as creating rules and punishments and managing study schedules, reflected a collaborative approach to education. Undeniably, an organized and mutually agreed schedule can create disappointment and boredom for some students (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). When faced with feelings of disappointment and boredom with something, individuals with high persistence will not retreat quickly. ...
... Goal pursuit, therefore, functions beyond conscious awareness, where goal-oriented actions are shaped through mental schemas influenced by contextual information (Aarts, 2007). Passion plays a pivotal role in determining both the intensity and direction of goal pursuit, encouraging sustained motivation, perseverance, and alignment of interests over time (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). This passiondriven approach allows learners to refine and adapt their goals, recognizing potential conflicts among future objectives and selecting adaptive alternatives, especially when autonomy in motivation is compromised. ...
The Journal of the Faculty of Education at Al-Arish University
... Goal pursuit, therefore, functions beyond conscious awareness, where goal-oriented actions are shaped through mental schemas influenced by contextual information (Aarts, 2007). Passion plays a pivotal role in determining both the intensity and direction of goal pursuit, encouraging sustained motivation, perseverance, and alignment of interests over time (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). This passiondriven approach allows learners to refine and adapt their goals, recognizing potential conflicts among future objectives and selecting adaptive alternatives, especially when autonomy in motivation is compromised. ...
This study investigates the intricate relationships among autonomous motivation, goal pursuit, and academic passion among psychology students in Colleges of Education, particularly in the context of the 2024/2025 Egyptian General Secondary Education Reforms. Utilizing a robust correlational descriptive methodology and a cross-sectional design, data were gathered from 362 students across Suez Canal University, Kufr El-Sheikh University, and Port Said University. The results reveal significant positive correlations between academic passion, and both identified (r = .437) and intrinsic motivation (r = .431). Additionally, regression analysis highlights that identified motivation (β = .257, p < .001) and intrinsic motivation (β = .210, p = .001) are pivotal predictors of academic passion, alongside goal pursuit (β = .165, p < .001). These findings illuminate the critical role of fostering autonomous motivation and strategic goal pursuit to bolster academic engagement and enthusiasm among students. Recommendations for educational practice include implementing targeted programs designed to enhance intrinsic and identified motivation, which may significantly elevate academic performance and satisfaction within students’ chosen disciplines.
... Furthermore, some theories posit that the construct of grit includes both passion and persistence Page 6 of 19 (Duckworth et al., 2007), whereas the DMP posits that passion and persistence are different constructs. Empirical studies have recently examined the differences between passion and grit, notably in university students and entrepreneurs (see Verner-Filion et al., 2020). Additional research along those lines is needed to better understand the differences and similarities between the underlying constructs that are currently referred to as passion. ...
In their recent systematic review, van Zyl et al. (2023) summarized contemporary critiques formulated toward the field of positive psychology. Within this research field, considerable differences exist with regard to the rigor of the methodological strategies used in each domain or subfield. These authors have identified six “broad critiques/criticisms” or overarching themes: “(a) positive psychology lacks proper theorizing and conceptual thinking; (b) the measurement of positive psychological constructs and the research methodologies are problematic; (c) positive psychology is a pseudoscience that lacks empirical evidence and shows poor replicability; (d) positive psychology lacks novelty and self-isolates from mainstream and general psychology; (e) positive psychology is a decontextualized neo-liberalist ideology that caused harm; and (f) positive psychology is a capitalistic venture” (van Zyl et al., 2023, p. 7). In this article, we use these six themes to allow us to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand, 2015), thereby contributing to making recommendations as to how to improve the subfield of passion research. We believe that applying this systematic and critical analysis to other subfields of positive psychology should ultimately contribute to improving the future development of positive psychology as a whole.
... The view that the grit scale doesn't measure passion is supported by research. Verner-Filion et al. (2020) found a correlation between harmonious passion and COI of r = 0.00 and between obsessive passion and consistency of interest of r = − 0.14. Suggesting that COI and passion are not the same construct. ...
... In another study by Verner-Filion et al. (31), only the perseverance of effort subscale of the grit scale was found to have a positive correlation with long-term progress in personal goals, changes in psychological well-being, and depression symptoms during an academic semester. In contrast, no significant difference was observed between the two subscales in the present study. ...
Background & Objective: Non-cognitive and personality variables, such as grit, have been shown to play an important role in medical science education. In order to facilitate studies in this field, it is necessary to have a reliable and valid instrument. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of the short Grit Scale (Grit-S) for Iranian dental students.
Material & Methods: For this psychometric study, the short Grit-S was administered to a sample of dental students (n = 226) during the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023 at the School of Dentistry of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. First, the questionnaire was translated, and then the psychometric properties of the Short Grit-S were evaluated. Descriptive statistics and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were performed using SPSS 26, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted through AMOS 24.
Results: The results of this study provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Short Grit-S as a measure of grit among Iranian dental students. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's alpha), split-half reliability, and test-retest were 0.80, 0.82, and 0.84, respectively. The Short Grit-S was found to be a valid and reliable instrument with good factorial validity, internal consistency, convergence, and criterion validity. The Short Grit-S was found to be useful for finding out how persistent Iranian dental students were in their efforts (Eigenvalue 3.53; variance explained 50.44) and how interested they were in learning (Eigenvalue 1.16; variance explained 16.55). The two-factor model with 7 items (item 2 was omitted) was found to be the best factor structure for the Persian version of the Short Grit-S.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the study found that the Persian version of the Short Grit-S with 7 items was a reliable and valid instrument for measuring grit among Iranian dental students.
... Moreover, Duckworth et al. (2007) emphasize the significance of grit and its correlation with life satisfaction as integral components of successful learning outcomes. Gritty individuals demonstrate a resolute determination to pursue their aspirations, maintaining focus and resilience in the face of obstacles or setbacks (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). Shao (2023) further highlights the association between grit and performance achievement, suggesting that individuals endowed with grit tend to exhibit enhanced well-being and are less susceptible to burnout. ...
This study diverges from conventional psychological perspectives that often concentrate on language learning deficiencies necessitating remedial interventions. Instead, it emphasizes the pivotal role of positive psychological constructs in facilitating optimal language development, particularly in contexts characterized by limited exposure to English. Through an exploration of positive psychology dimensions among Thai EFL secondary school students, the research examined the nuanced interplay of positive psychological factors shaping language learning in such contexts. Employing an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with the inventory and interviews, this study examined the underlying psychological determinants guiding the language learning experiences of 255 Thai EFL secondary school students from diverse regions. Factor analysis, complemented by Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistics, contributes to refining the inventory and reveals four crucial positive psychology factors that collectively explain 61.158% of the variance in positive psychology levels. The resultant 18-item, 4-factor model encompasses processes within four categories of positive psychology constructs-Engagement and Enjoyment, Grit and Perseverance, Interest and Focus, and Future Intentions. model culminates in the development of the EFL Positive Psychology Inventory (EFLPP), which exhibits commendable validity and reliability. Additionally, insights gleaned from semi-structured interviews elucidate three sources of L2 positive psychology constructs: learning environment, predetermined goals, and personal interests. This study emphasizes the significance of these positive psychology constructs in informing pedagogical strategies aimed at cultivating efficacious language learning experiences. By elucidating learners' positive psychology constructs, the research attempts to equip English educators in EFL contexts with tailored instructional methodologies that align with learners' positive aspirations, thereby augmenting English language learning outcomes.
... Perseverance refers to the extent to which individuals exert solid effort in facing challenges, whereas passion/consistency of interest refers to the tendency to adopt and maintain a similar set of interests for a considerable extensive time (Duckworth et al., 2007). Some studies indicate that university students with higher levels of grit are more determined to overcome barriers and maintain their interest in achieving their targets despite a lack of support, difficulties, or failure (Arslan et al., 2013;Verner-Filion et al., 2020). Moreover, people with higher levels of grit have a stronger belief in their capacities to overcome career obstacles and focus on success when approaching these obstacles (Lee & Sohn, 2017). ...
Within the larger framework of career construction theory, the present study investigated how future time perspective is related to career adaptability and whether grit may play a mediating role in this relationship. A sample of 483 university students (Mage = 20.03, 92.3% women) filled in scales measuring future time perspective dimensions (i.e., connectedness, value, extension, and speed), grit, and career adaptability comprised in an online survey. Findings showed that career adaptability was positively associated with connectedness and extension, and negatively associated with speed future time dimension. Further, grit was
positively linked to career adaptability. In addition, grit mediated the relationships of future time dimensions with career adaptability. Results are discussed in terms of educational and counseling implications regarding university students’ future career construction in academic settings.
... Prior research has suggested that although individuals pursuing non-concordant goals expected to exert as much effort as individuals pursuing self-concordant goals, the effort levels of the former were significantly lower after six weeks (Sheldon & Elliot, 1998;Sheldon & Kasser, 1998). Verner-Filion et al. (2020) have suggested that perseverance of effort is predictive of both higher levels of progress toward personal goals, and lower levels of depression (goal progress was also negatively related to depression). Past studies have indicated that grit predicts reduced levels of depression (Datu et al., 2019) and suicidal ideation (Kleiman et al., 2013) by means of increased perception of meaning in life. ...
Goal self-concordance is the extent to which an individual’s goals are aligned with their internal values and interests. Past research has suggested that both self-concordance and meaning in life are negatively associated with depressive and anxious symptomatology. Goal self-concordance and meaning in life, however, have not been assessed in conjunction. The paper utilized two separate samples (N = 168 and N = 269). Zero-order and partial correlations suggested that meaning in life judgement accounted for a unique portion of the variance in the association between goal self-concordance and both depressive symptomatology and anxious symptomatology. Further, separate cross-sectional mediation analyses suggested that meaning in life was uniquely and atemporally associated with both depressive and anxious symptomatology in both studies. Additionally, higher levels of goal self-concordance were associated with higher levels of all dimensions of meaning in life, and grit, and lower levels of depressive symptomatology in both studies.
... In other words, a person with a high level of Grit will show consistent dedication toward their long-term goals, unaffected by distractions or difficulties that may arise along the way. She will persevere in her efforts and remain committed to her goals despite any temptations or challenges that may arise, allowing her to maintain a consistent focus in the pursuit of her aspirations (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). ...
Background
The concept of Grit refers to a person’s ability to maintain perseverance and passion in the pursuit of long-term objectives. However, research on the applicability of the Grit-Original scale (Grit-O) in the Latin American context is limited.
Objective
This instrumental design study aimed to analyze the structure of this scale and its factorial invariance in relation to gender, as well as to examine its convergent validity with job satisfaction and happiness.
Methods
A sample of 364 Peruvian workers that were selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling in 2021.
Results
The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two-dimensional structure of 12 items presented adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Additionally, the instrument is invariant between men and women. Likewise, the convergent relationship between the Grit scale, job satisfaction, and happiness variables was confirmed, which supports the validity of the instrument in the study context.
Conclusion
The findings of the study confirm that the GRIT-O is a measure with adequate psychometric properties in the Peruvian context.
... Moreover, research by found that grit and life satisfaction were important indicators of successful teaching, and gritty teachers are more likely to enjoy their work and perform well in the classroom, as noted by Maiers and Sandvold (2017). Additionally, individuals with grit tend to exert themselves in the pursuit of goals that inspire them and stay focused on them over time, despite setbacks, challenges, or fatigue (Verner-Filion et al., 2020). ...
Introduction
This study aimed to investigate the relationship among teacher enthusiasm and teacher self-efficacy, grit, and teacher psychological well-being among Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers.
Methods
A sample of 553 Chinese EFL teachers completed self-report measures of teacher enthusiasm, teacher self-efficacy, grit, and teacher psychological well-being. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the validity of the scales, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model.
Results
The results indicated that teacher self-efficacy and grit were positively associated with teacher psychological well-being, providing support for the importance of these teacher characteristics in promoting teacher well-being. Furthermore, teacher enthusiasm was found to have an indirect effect on teacher psychological well-being through the mediation of teacher grit, providing evidence for the importance of teacher motivation and engagement in promoting teacher well-being. The partial mediation model was found to be the best fitting model.
Discussion
These findings have important implications for the development of interventions and programs aimed at promoting teacher well-being in the context of EFL teaching.
... among a sample of US high school students, 23 r = .48 among a sample of Canadian college students, 24 and r = .40 among a sample of US military college students. ...
Objective
To examine the role of grit as a mediator of the relationship between student-veteran status and not seeking mental health help. Participants: A diverse and nationally representative sample of students (8,203 women, 4,934 men) from 18 U.S. colleges and universities included in the Understanding Student Distress and Academic Success study was used. Method: Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess associations between military service, grit, and help seeking. Results: Military service was positively associated with both facets of grit: consistency of interests (CI) and perseverance of effort (PE). CI, but not PE, mediated the relationship between military service and never having sought mental health help. Conclusions: These results suggest that grit mediates the relationship between military service and not seeking mental health help. Interventions for student-veterans that emphasize the utility of mental health treatment may be useful to diminish the negative influence of grit on help-seeking.
This quantitative correlational predictive study aims to determine if and to what extent core self-evaluations (CSE), grit, and age, combined and individually predict generalized expectancy for success (GES) in adults ages 18–65 in the United States. The sample size was 115. The theoretical foundation was the CSE Theory and the Grit Model. The instruments used for the study were CSE, Grit-S, and GESS-R Scales. The Grit-S and GESS-R had a high level of reliability with Cronbach’s alpha of .72 and .89, respectively. CSE showed a Cronbach’s alpha of .68. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to measure the predictive relationship between CSE, grit, and age combined and individually, and generalized expectancy for success (GES). The results for CSE, grit, and age combined showed statistically significant results F (3,111) = 27.56, p < .001, CSE showed a direct predictive relationship with GES ( ß = .404, t = 4.940, p < .001), and grit showed an inverse predictive relationship with GES (β = − .360, t = -4.366, p < .001). The relationship was negative because GES decreased as grit increased. Age did not show statistically significant results ( ß = − .063, t = − .866, p = .388), and the null hypothesis was maintained. The results of this study contribute to the literature on CSE, grit, and generalized expectancy for success.
The purpose of this quantitative correlational predictive study is to determine if and to what extent core self-evaluations (CSE), grit, and age, combined and individually predict generalized expectancy for success (GES) in adults ages 18-65 in the United States. The sample size was 115. The theoretical foundation was CSE Theory and the Grit Model. The instruments used for the study were CSE, Grit-S, and GESS-R Scales. The Grit-S and GESS-R had a high level of reliability with Cronbach’s alpha of .72 and .89, respectively. CSE showed a Cronbach’s alpha of .68. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to measure the predictive relationship between CSE, grit, and age combined and individually, and generalized expectancy for success (GES). The results for CSE, grit, and age combined showed statistically significant results F(3,111) = 27.56, p < .001, CSE showed a direct predictive relationship with GES (ß = .404, t = 4.940, p < .001), and grit showed an inverse predictive relationship with GES (ß = -.360, t = -4.366, p < .001). Age did not show statistically significant results (ß = -.063, t = -.866, p = .388), and the null hypothesis was maintained. The results of this study contribute to the literature on CSE, grit, and generalized expectancy for success.
Keywords: core self-evaluations, grit, generalized expectancy for success, non-cognitive factors, success
Personality variables contribute to the development of passion for studies leading undergraduates to different affective experiences. Academic hardiness, an affective personality trait, may have effect on undergraduates’ passion for studies. The purpose of the study (which uses a quantitative methodological approach) was twofold: (a) to examine the psychometric properties of Passion scale in Greek undergraduates and (b) to investigate the role of Academic Hardiness 3Cs in the Harmonious (HP) and Obsessive (OP) passion. A convenience sample of 293 undergraduates completed the following scales: (a) Passion scale, (b) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, (c) The Positive and Negative Affect schedule, and (d) The revised Academic Hardiness scale. Initially, results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the two-factor passion scale. Moreover, results from SEM analyses revealed that control and challenge were positively related to HP, whereas commitment was positively related to both HP and OP. A negative relationship was found between control and OP. OP was positively related with negative affect, which, in turn, was negatively related with undergraduates’ happiness. On the contrary, HP was positively related with positive affect, which, in turn, was positively related with happiness. Findings of the study are discussed, focusing on the adaptive nature of academic hardiness and harmonious passion in academic settings.
School motivation is key to promoting optimal educational pathways. Some studies suggest that parental monitoring behaviors foster school motivation among adolescents; however, they did not examine the potential role of adolescents’ motivation in shaping parental monitoring behaviors. This longitudinal study aimed to examine the bidirectional associations between three types of school motivation (autonomous, controlled, and amotivation) and two types of perceived parental monitoring behaviors (solicitation and control). The sample consisted of 328 adolescents (212 girls, 116 boys; M = 15.78 years), assessed at the end of their third or fourth year of secondary school, and again, 1 year later. Path analyses revealed that over a 1-year period, bidirectional associations were found between autonomous motivation and perceived parental solicitation. Moreover, parental solicitation as perceived by the adolescents was associated with a decrease in amotivation during the following year. Findings provide support for the dynamic nature of the parent–child relationships and highlight the need to consider child-to-parent effects to promote positive school-related outcomes.
This study examined the relation between personal striving level and psychological and physical well-being. Level refers to the degree of generality versus specificity of one's goal strivings. In 3 studies, 188 Ss generated lists of their personal strivings, which were then rated on specificity level. High-level striving was associated with more psychological distress, particularly depression. Low-level striving was related to higher levels of physical illness. Correlations between striving level and self-reported symptoms were generally not as strong as those between level and the more objective illness indicators. High-level strivings were seen as more difficult and requiring more effort than low-level strivings. Results are interpreted in terms of control theory, goal-setting theory, and the repressive personality style.
The constructs grit and conscientiousness are closely connected. However, this relationship has not been analyzed while accounting for the complex structure of conscientiousness and the multifaceted conception of grit (perseverance of effort; consistency of interest). In this study, we analyzed the connection while considering the hierarchical structure of conscientiousness, differentiating between a superordinate factor, a first-level common factor (industriousness), and lower-level unique factors. Drawing on two samples (N = 413, Mage = 15.29, and N = 530, Mage = 31.75), we applied an extension procedure for confirmatory factor analysis that enables a simultaneous investigation of the relationships on all levels. The perseverance facet of grit was tightly aligned to the common factors (95% shared variance) and was strongly related to the industriousness factor. Consistency shared less variance with the common factors of conscientiousness (53%), but it was additionally correlated with the self-discipline facet. The results for the global grit scale were most similar to the results for perseverance. Grit appears to be a construct that combines the superordinate and industrious aspects of conscientiousness and shares the unique aspect of the self-discipline facet; this suggests that grit and its facets can be fully integrated into the hierarchical structure of conscientiousness.
Background. Beyond ability, traits related to perseverance, such as grit and self-discipline, are associated with adaptive educational outcomes. Few studies have examined the independent effects of these traits on outcomes and the mechanisms involved.
Aims. The present study estimated parameters of a process model in which grit perseverance of effort (grit-effort) and consistency of interest (grit-interest) dimensions and self-discipline were independent predictors of students’ science grades. The effect of the grit-effort on grades was expected to be mediated by students’ self-reported effort on optional out-of-school science learning activities.
Sample. Secondary school students (N=110) aged between 12 and 14 years.
Methods. The study adopted a correlational design with measures taken on three occasions. Students completed self-report measures of grit and self-discipline early in the semester and effort on optional out-of-school learning activities five weeks later. Students’ science grades were collected at the end of the semester. Data were analysed using Bayesian path analyses using non-informative and informative priors derived from previous research.
Results. Consistent with predictions, we found effects of grit-effort on science grades mediated by effort, and self-discipline on grades. Contrary to predictions, we also found an effect of self-discipline on grades mediated by effort. Zero was a credible value for direct effects of grit-effort on grades, and grit-interest on effort and grades.
Conclusions. Results suggest grit-effort and self-discipline relate to effort on educational activities linked to better grades. The direct effect of self-discipline on grades suggests that it may be related to other activities that determine science attainment.
The present article includes separate meta-analyses showing that self-concordance and implementation intentions are significantly positively associated with goal progress. Study 1 confirmed the positive relations of both self-concordance and implementation intentions to weekend goal progress. Study 2 confirmed the positive relation of self-concordance with monthly progress on New Year's resolutions but failed to find a direct benefit for implementation intentions. Both studies, however, obtained a significant interaction effect indicating that goal self-concordance and implementation intentions combined synergistically to facilitate goal progress. The article also reports a meta-analysis and results from the 2 studies that demonstrated that goal progress was associated with improved affect over time.
In the present study, we examined the extent to which grit’s 2 components, consistency of interests and perseverance of effort, overlap with future-oriented motivation, relate to other motivational variables including self-efficacy, task values, and goal orientations, and predict achievement in high school students (N = 190) controlling for motivational variables. Exploratory factor analyses revealed that grit was empirically distinct from, and relatively weakly related to, the future-oriented motivation variables future time perspective and instrumentality. The perseverance of effort component of grit was more strongly correlated with self-efficacy, task values, and goal orientations than was consistency of interests. When controlling for motivational variables, perseverance of effort emerged as a significant predictor of end-of-semester grades, but consistency of interests did not. However, self-efficacy was a stronger predictor of grades than either of the grit components. Together, these results suggest that grit is distinct from future oriented motivation, and that perseverance of effort is more strongly associated with motivation and achievement than is consistency of interests for high school students.
Objective:
Action crises describe the intrapsychic conflicts individuals experience when they feel torn between further goal pursuit and goal disengagement. The present investigation introduces autonomous and controlled motivation as independent predictors of action crisis severity, beyond known personality level predictors (action orientation), and novel personality level predictors (neuroticism and conscientiousness).
Method:
Using a multi-wave prospective longitudinal design and multilevel modeling (MLM) we followed students pursuing 3 personal goals across an academic semester (N = 425 undergraduates, 76% female, 57% Caucasian, Mage = 20.2, SD =2.3). In two follow-up surveys, participants reported on the severity of their action crises, goal progress, and symptoms of depression.
Results:
Results suggest that autonomous motivation shields individuals from experiencing action crises, while controlled motivation represents a risk factor for developing action crises beyond personality level predictors. Furthermore, MLM revealed that autonomous motivation is a significant predictor of action crisis severity at both the within- and between person levels of analysis. Action crises mediate both the relationship between autonomous motivation and goal progress, and the relationship between controlled motivation and symptoms of depression.
Conclusions:
The implications of these findings for the prevention of action crises and motivation research are discussed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly (2007) defined grit as one’s passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. They proposed that it consists of 2 components: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort. In a high school and college student sample, we used a multidimensional item response theory approach to examine (a) the factor structure of grit, and (b) grit’s relations to and overlap with conceptually and operationally similar constructs in the personality, self-regulation, and engagement literatures, including self-control, conscientiousness, cognitive self-regulation, effort regulation, behavioral engagement, and behavioral disaffection. A series of multiple regression analyses with factor scores was used to examine (c) grit’s prediction of end-of-semester course grades. Findings indicated that grit’s factor structure differed to some degree across high school and college students. Students’ grit overlapped empirically with their concurrently reported self-control, self-regulation, and engagement. Students’ perseverance of effort (but not their consistency of interests) predicted their later grades, although other self-regulation and engagement variables were stronger predictors of students’ grades than was grit.
The goal of this research was to examine passion as a determinant of mindfulness. Three studies were conducted based on the premise that harmonious passion (HP) provides access to adaptive self-processes, such as mindfulness, whereas obsessive passion (OP) limits such access. In Study 1 (n = 301), results revealed that HP and OP positively and negatively predicted mindfulness, respectively. Study 2 (n = 459) aimed at replicating results from Study 1 and explored the mediating role of mindfulness in the passion–affect relationship. Results uncovered that HP and OP, respectively, predicted positively and negatively mindfulness that, in turn, positively predicted positive affect and negatively predicted negative affect. These results were replicated in Study 3 (n = 176) while incorporating a time lag in the design. Vitality was also included in the model and was positively predicted by mindfulness. Findings underscore the facilitative role of HP in accessing adaptive self-processes, such as mindfulness.
Researchers and the general public have become increasingly intrigued by the roles that systematic tendencies toward thinking, feeling, and behaving might play in academic achievement. Some measures of constructs belonging to this group have been well studied in genetics and psychometrics, while much less is known about measures of other such constructs. The current study focuses on 7 character traits prominently featured in influential intervention-oriented and/or socialization theories of academic achievement: grit, intellectual curiosity, intellectual self-concept, mastery orientation, educational value, intelligence mindset, and test motivation. In a population-based sample of 811 school-aged twins and triplets from the Texas Twin Project, we tested (a) how each measure relates to indices of the Big Five personality traits, (b) how the measures relate to one another, (c) the extent to which each measure is associated with genetic and environmental influences and whether such influences operate through common dimensions of individual differences, and (d) the extent to which genetic and environmental factors mediate the relations between fluid intelligence, character measures, verbal knowledge, and academic achievement. We find moderate relations among the measures that can be captured by a highly heritable common dimension representing a mixture of Openness and Conscientiousness. Moreover, genetically influenced variance in the character measures is associated with multiple measures of verbal knowledge and academic achievement, even after controlling for fluid intelligence. In contrast, environmentally influenced variance in character is largely unrelated to knowledge and achievement outcomes. We propose that character measures popularly used in education may be best conceptualized as indexing facets of personality that are of particular relevance to academic achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record
Grit has been presented as a higher order personality trait that is highly predictive of both success and performance and distinct from other traits such as conscientiousness. This paper provides a meta-analytic review of the grit literature with a particular focus on the structure of grit and the relation between grit and performance, retention, conscientiousness, cognitive ability, and demographic variables. Our results based on 584 effect sizes from 88 independent samples representing 66,807 individuals indicate that the higher order structure of grit is not confirmed, that grit is only moderately correlated with performance and retention, and that grit is very strongly correlated with conscientiousness. We also find that the perseverance of effort facet has significantly stronger criterion validities than the consistency of interest facet and that perseverance of effort explains variance in academic performance even after controlling for conscientiousness. In aggregate our results suggest that interventions designed to enhance grit may only have weak effects on performance and success, that the construct validity of grit is in question, and that the primary utility of the grit construct may lie in the perseverance facet.
Grit-perseverance and passion for long-term goals-has been shown to be a significant predictor of academic success, even after controlling for other personality factors. Here, for the first time, we use a U.K.-representative sample and a genetically sensitive design to unpack the etiology of Grit and its prediction of academic achievement in comparison to well-established personality traits. For 4,642 16-year-olds (2,321 twin pairs), we used the Grit-S scale (perseverance of effort and consistency of interest), along with the Big Five personality traits, to predict grades on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams, which are administered U.K.-wide at the end of compulsory education. Twin analyses of Grit perseverance yielded a heritability estimate of 37% (20% for consistency of interest) and no evidence for shared environmental influence. Personality, primarily conscientiousness, predicts about 6% of the variance in GCSE grades, but Grit adds little to this prediction. Moreover, multivariate twin analyses showed that roughly two-thirds of the GCSE prediction is mediated genetically. Grit perseverance of effort and Big Five conscientiousness are to a large extent the same trait both phenotypically (r = 0.53) and genetically (genetic correlation = 0.86). We conclude that the etiology of Grit is highly similar to other personality traits, not only in showing substantial genetic influence but also in showing no influence of shared environmental factors. Personality significantly predicts academic achievement, but Grit adds little phenotypically or genetically to the prediction of academic achievement beyond traditional personality factors, especially conscientiousness. (PsycINFO Database Record
The theoretical framework presented in this article explains expert performance as the end result of individuals' prolonged efforts to improve performance while negotiating motivational and external constraints. In most domains of expertise, individuals begin in their childhood a regimen of effortful activities (deliberate practice) designed to optimize improvement. Individual differences, even among elite performers, are closely related to assessed amounts of deliberate practice. Many characteristics once believed to reflect innate talent are actually the result of intense practice extended for a minimum of 10 years. Analysis of expert performance provides unique evidence on the potential and limits of extreme environmental adaptation and learning.
An integrative model of the conative process, which has important ramifications for psychological need satisfaction and hence for individuals’ well-being, is presented. The self-concordance of goals (i.e., their consistency with the person’s developing interests and core values) plays a dual role in the model. First, those pursuing self-concordant goals put more sustained effort into achieving those goals and thus are more likely to attain them. Second, those who attain self-concordant goals reap greater well-being benefits from their attainment. Attainment-to-well-being effects are mediated by need satisfaction, i.e., daily activity-based experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness that accumulate during the period of striving. The model is shown to provide a satisfactory fit to 3 longitudinal data sets and to be independent of the effects of self-efficacy, implementation intentions, avoidance framing, and life skills.
Grit, passion and perseverance for long-term goals, is strongly related to success in goal attainment even under challenging circumstances. We investigated how grit relates to three aspects of well-being: psychological well-being (PWB), satisfaction with life, and harmony in life. This relationship is approached through organismic valuing theory, which proposes that people are naturally motivated to grow towards their highest potential; grit is proposed as being akin to such growth motivation. In two studies (Study 1 with 196 university students, and Study 2 with 396 non-students), direct and indirect (mediating) effects between grit and well-being were investigated. Sense of coherence (SOC) and authenticity were used as mediators, and gender as a moderator. Grit was positively related to all well-being factors, and SOC and authenticity were significant mediators (complementary for PWB and indirect-only for satisfaction with life and harmony in life). This suggests that grittiness in goal pursuits requires both a sense that the world is coherent and an authentic connection with the self in order for it to fully benefit well-being. No gender moderation was found.
The present research aims to validate the Short Grit Scale (Duckworth et al., 2009) among a sample of university (n=220) and high school students (n=606) from a collectivist culture (i.e., the Philippines) using both within-network and between-network approaches to construct validation. Our results revealed interesting cross-cultural differences in grit. First, grit was comprised of two distinct dimensions rather than as a hierarchical construct. Only the perseverance of effort dimension loaded onto the higher-order grit factor. Second, perseverance of effort was more salient in predicting key psychological outcomes (i.e., academic engagement and subjective well-being) compared to consistency of interests. This suggests that in collectivist cultures, the perseverance of effort dimension of grit is more relevant compared to the consistency of interest. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Other than talent and opportunity, what makes some people more successful than others? One important determinant of success is self-control—the capacity to regulate attention, emotion, and behavior in the presence of temptation. A second important determinant of success is grit—the tenacious pursuit of a dominant superordinate goal despite setbacks. Self-control and grit are strongly correlated, but not perfectly so. This means that some people with high levels of self-control capably handle temptations but do not consistently pursue a dominant goal. Likewise, some exceptional achievers are prodigiously gritty but succumb to temptations in domains other than their chosen life passion. Understanding how goals are hierarchically organized clarifies how self-control and grit are related but distinct: Self-control entails aligning actions with any valued goal despite momentarily more-alluring alternatives; grit, in contrast, entails having and working assiduously toward a single challenging superordinate goal through thick and thin, on a timescale of years or even decades. Although both self-control and grit entail aligning actions with intentions, they operate in different ways and over different timescales. This hierarchical goal framework suggests novel directions for basic and applied research on success.
In two cross-sectional studies, we explored the motivational orientations correlates of the character strength of grit and its two component facets: perseverance of effort and consistency of interests over time. Specifically, we examined how individual differences in grit are explained by distinct approaches to pursuing happiness in life: pleasure in immediately hedonically positive activities, meaning in activities that serve a higher, altruistic purpose, and engagement in attention-absorbing activities. In both samples, grit demonstrated medium-sized associations with an orientation toward engagement, small-to-medium associations with an orientation toward meaning, and small-to-medium (inverse) associations with an orientation toward pleasure. These motivational orientations differentially related to the two facets of grit: pursuing engagement was more strongly associated with perseverance of effort, whereas pursuing pleasure was more strongly (inversely) associated with consistency of interests over time. Collectively, findings suggest that individual differences in grit may derive in part from differences in what makes people happy.
The present paper examined the interplay between key motivational and self-regulatory processes, namely passion and coping strategies, and their relation with anxiety in the sport domain. Two studies with a combined 348 athletes were conducted in order to test a model whereby two types of passion were differentially related to anxiety through the use of different coping strategies. Overall, results supported our hypotheses by demonstrating that harmonious passion was associated to approach-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were related to less anxiety. In contrast, obsessive passion was positively related to avoidance-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were associated with more anxiety. This paper identifies coping strategies as a mediator in the relation between passion and anxiety, thus providing further support for the study of the relation between motivational and self-regulatory processes in order to better understand athletes' psychological adjustment in sport.
In this research, we testing the role of cognitive appraisals in explaining why harmonious and obsessive passion dimensions are related to distinct forms of coping, and explored if performance was impacted by these appraisal and coping processes.
Undergraduate students (N = 489) participated in a longitudinal study and completed three surveys throughout the course of an academic year.
Participants completed assessments of both passion dimensions (Time 1), reported how they were appraising and coping with the mid-year exam period (Time 2), and provided consent to obtain their final grade in Introductory Psychology (Time 3). The hypothesised model was tested using structural equation modeling.
Harmonious and obsessive passion dimensions were linked with approach and avoidant coping responses, respectively. Cognitive appraisals, particularly appraisals of challenge and uncontrollability, played an indirect role in these relationships. In addition, both appraisals and coping responses had an indirect effect in the relationship between passion dimensions and final grade.
These results identify cognitive appraisal as a reason why passion dimensions are linked with distinct coping tendencies, and demonstrate the role appraisal and coping processes in the journey to passionate goal attainment.
The present paper examines validity of three proposed self-regulation predictors of school outcomes – Conscientiousness, Grit and Emotion Regulation Ability (ERA). In a sample of private high school students (N = 213) we measured these constructs along with indices of school success obtained from records (rule violating behavior, academic recognitions, honors, and GPA) and self-reported satisfaction with school. Regression analyses showed that after controlling for other Big Five traits, all school outcomes were significantly predicted by Conscientiousness and ERA, but not Grit. The discussion focuses on the importance of broad personality traits (Conscientiousness; measures of typical performance) and self-regulation abilities (ERA; measures of maximal performance) in predicting school success.
Remaining committed to goals is necessary (albeit not sufficient) to attaining them, but very little is known about domain-general individual differences that contribute to sustained goal commitment. The current investigation examines the association between grit, defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, other individual difference variables, and retention in four different contexts: the military, workplace sales, high school, and marriage. Grit predicted retention over and beyond established context-specific predictors of retention (e.g., intelligence, physical aptitude, Big Five personality traits, job tenure) and demographic variables in each setting. Grittier soldiers were more likely to complete an Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) selection course, grittier sales employees were more likely to keep their jobs, grittier students were more likely to graduate from high school, and grittier men were more likely to stay married. The relative predictive validity of grit compared to other traditional predictors of retention is examined in each of the four studies. These findings suggest that in addition to domain-specific influences, there may be domain-general individual differences which influence commitment to diverse life goals over time.
The expert performance framework distinguishes between deliberate practice and less effective practice activities. The current longitudinal study is the first to use this framework to understand how children improve in an academic skill. Specifically, the authors examined the effectiveness and subjective experience of three preparation activities widely recommended to improve spelling skill. Deliberate practice, operationally defined as studying and memorizing words while alone, better predicted performance in the National Spelling Bee than being quizzed by others or reading for pleasure. Rated as the most effortful and least enjoyable type of preparation activity, deliberate practice was increasingly favored over being quizzed as spellers accumulated competition experience. Deliberate practice mediated the prediction of final performance by the personality trait of grit, suggesting that perseverance and passion for long-term goals enable spellers to persist with practice activities that are less intrinsically rewarding—but more effective—than other types of preparation.
We investigated passionate leisure activity engagement in relation to the hierarchical model of life satisfaction. The hierarchical model of life satisfaction implies that experiences in life domains (e.g., work, family, leisure) are transmitted to a higher level of general well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine whether harmonious and obsessive passion towards an activity in the leisure domain were differently related to positive outcomes in other life domains, but foremost, to general subjective well-being. Results showed that harmonious passion was positively related to subjective well-being and positive outcomes in all life domains included in the study, whereas obsessive passion was negatively related to subjective well-being and negatively related to positive life domain outcomes. Mediational effects were found using path analyses. Most findings were in concordance with the theories investigated in the study, indicating that the motivation behind leisure activity engagement affects life domain outcomes and life satisfaction. Moreover, the present findings illuminate the potential negative effects of leisure activity engagement.
This article investigates the relationship between passion and the attainment of an elite level of performance within a population of expert musicians. Furthermore, the mediational role of performance goals and deliberate practice between passion and performance is also explored. Results of the path analysis showed that harmonious passion predicted the use of mastery goals, which in turn predicted the use of deliberate practice and a higher level of performance. On the other hand, obsessive passion positively predicted approach and avoidance goals with both having a direct negative impact on performance attainment. Consistent with previous research on passion, results also showed that harmonious, but not obsessive passion, was a positive predictor of subjective well-being. These results suggest the existence of two different pathways linking passion and elite performance, the harmonious passion path being the most adaptive.
Objectives: To test a performance-attainment model derived from the Dualistic Model of Passion [Vallerand et al. (2003). Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 756-767] that posits that both harmonious and obsessive passions are positive predictors of deliberate practice that, in turn, is a positive predictor of performance. Design: A prospective design was used in the present study. Methods and results: The basic model was tested in two studies using structural equation modeling. Results from Study 1 with 184 high school basketball players indicated that both harmonious and obsessive passions were positive predictors of deliberate practice, which, in turn, was a positive predictor of objective performance. The results of Study 2, conducted with 67 synchronized swimming and water-polo athletes conceptually replicated those from Study 1. Furthermore, results differentially linked the two passions to achievement goals and subjective well-being (SWB). Specifically, harmonious passion was a positive predictor of mastery goal pursuit and SWB, whereas obsessive passion was a positive predictor of mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goal pursuit and was unrelated to SWB. Mastery goals were positive predictors of deliberate practice, which was a direct positive predictor of performance, whereas performance-avoidance goals were direct negative predictors of performance. Conclusions: It appears that there are two paths to high-level performance attainment in sport, depending if harmonious or obsessive passion underlies sport engagement. While the path from harmonious passion is conducive to high levels of performance and living a happy life, that from obsessive passion is less reliably related to performance attainment and is unrelated to happiness.
This study examined the relationship between harmonious and obsessive passion and coping, and assessed whether coping mediated the relationship between passion types and changes in burnout and goal attainment. College- and university-level volleyball players (N = 421) completed measures of passion, coping, burnout, and goal attainment at the start and end of a season. Results of structural equation modeling, using a true latent change approach, supported a model whereby types of passion were indirectly related to changes in burnout and goal attainment via coping. Harmonious passion was positively related to task-oriented coping which, in turn, was positively associated with change in goal attainment. Obsessive passion was positively associated with disengagement-oriented coping which, in turn, was positively and negatively associated with changes in burnout and goal attainment, respectively. This study identifies coping as a reason why passionate athletes may experience changes in burnout and goal attainment over the course of a season.
The dualistic model of passion proposes two distinct types of passion, obsessive and harmonious, that predict less and more adaptive outcomes, respectively. Two studies tested the hypothesis that individuals with an obsessive passion for an activity (being associated with an insecure sense of self) benefit more from self-enhancement in terms of life satisfaction. Study 1 (N = 119) showed that the more participants endorsed an obsessive passion, the stronger the association was between self-enhancement within the activity and life satisfaction. Harmonious passion was unrelated to this association. Study 2 (N = 318) replicated these findings with an experimental design. The results establish passion as a moderator of the association between self-enhancement and life satisfaction.
The Passion Scale, based on the dualistic model of passion, measures 2 distinct types of passion: Harmonious and obsessive passions are predictive of adaptive and less adaptive outcomes, respectively. In a substantive-methodological synergy, we evaluate the construct validity (factor structure, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity) of Passion Scale responses (N = 3,571). The exploratory structural equation model fit to the data was substantially better than the confirmatory factor analysis solution, and resulted in better differentiated (less correlated) factors. Results from a 13-model taxonomy of measurement invariance supported complete invariance (factor loadings, factor correlations, item uniquenesses, item intercepts, and latent means) over language (French vs. English; the instrument was originally devised in French, then translated into English) and gender. Strong measurement partial invariance over 5 passion activity groups (leisure, sport, social, work, education) indicates that the same set of items is appropriate for assessing passion across a wide variety of activities-a previously untested, implicit assumption that greatly enhances practical utility. Support was found for the convergent and discriminant validity of the harmonious and obsessive passion scales, based on a set of validity correlates: life satisfaction, rumination, conflict, time investment, activity liking and valuation, and perceiving the activity as a passion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
To examine: i) the mean changes in adolescent females' body mass index (BMI), global self-esteem, physical self-perceptions, social physique anxiety, physical activity, and dietary restraint; ii) the stability of measuring self-perceptions, BMI, self-esteem, physique anxiety, activity, and dietary restraint; and iii) the relationships among changes in these variables over 12 months.
631 female adolescents (15-16 years old) involved in a two-year study of self-report measures completed validated questionnaires in high school classroom settings.
There were small but significant group increases in BMI and social physique anxiety and significant decreases in sport, conditioning, and strength physical self-perceptions and physical activity. Stability analysis indicates moderate to strong stability for all variables. Change analyses indicated that BMI, due to its high stability, is a poor predictor of change in all variables. Stronger significant correlations were noted between change in body appearance self-perceptions and change in social physique anxiety (r=-0.54) and dietary restraint (r=-0.27). There was also a significant relationship between change in physical activity and the physical self-perceptions, although conditioning was the only significant (p<0.05) predictor of change in physical activity (beta=0.340).
Physical self-perceptions are a stronger predictor of change in physical activity, dietary restraint, and social physique anxiety compared to BMI. This demonstrates the importance of physical self-perceptions when investigating health-related behaviours associated with dieting and physical activity. The decline in physical activity and increase in BMI is an ongoing concern, as is the link between body appearance self-perceptions and dietary restraint and social physique anxiety.
Three studies examined the relations of autonomy support and directive support to goal progress over 3 months. Autonomy support was defined in terms of empathic perspective-taking, whereas directive support was defined in terms of the provision of positive guidance. Results from Study 1 revealed that autonomy support between romantic partners was significantly positively related to goal progress over 3 months, and that the beneficial effect of autonomy support was mediated by enhanced autonomous goal motivation. Study 2 involved female friend dyads and extended the goal progress results to include both self-reports and reports by peers. Study 3 showed that autonomy support similarly promoted progress at vicarious goals. Across three studies, autonomy support was also significantly associated with improved relationship quality and subjective well-being. Directive support was marginally associated with better goal progress across the three studies and unrelated to relationship quality or well-being.
Objective
People that pursue a passionate activity obsessively (vs. harmoniously) tend to neglect (vs. integrate) other important life domains, yet research has been silent on the psychological mechanism explaining these differences in self‐regulation. The purpose of this research was to address this gap by testing the role of alternative goal suppression.
Method
Four studies tested whether harmonious passion is characterized by the pursuit for multifinality, the preference for means that gratify multiple goals simultaneously, whereas obsessive passion is characterized by the pursuit of counterfinality, the preference for means that serves a focal goal to the detriment of other pursuits. Underlying this relationship is the tendency to suppress goals conflicting with one's passion.
Results
Study 1 found cross‐sectional support for these hypotheses. Study 2 replicated Study 1 and extended it by demonstrating that the relationship between obsessive passion and counterfinal means is mediated by alternative goal suppression. Study 3 replicated these findings using an experimental manipulation of passion. Study 4 found similar results by experimentally manipulating alternative goal suppression, the mediator, to demonstrate its causal influence on means evaluation.
Conclusions
Collectively, the present results demonstrate that passion plays a significant role in the type of means‐ends relations preferred for goal‐pursuits.
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The present research investigated the role of the personality traits and facets of the Big Five Model in harmonious (HP) and obsessive (OP) passion. A total of 284 participants completed an online questionnaire measuring personality traits and facets, HP and OP, and positive and negative affect. Results from correlational and structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, and extraversion traits (and most of their facets) were positively related to HP, while neuroticism, agreeableness, and extraversion (and most of their facets) were positively associated with OP. In turn, HP was positively related to positive affect and negatively related to negative affect. In contrast, OP was positively associated with negative affect. The results suggest that broad personality factors such as the Big Five and their facets play a role in the development of HP and OP.
Objectives
Grounded in the basic psychological needs theory (BPNT; Ryan & Deci, 2017) and dualistic model of passion (DMP; Vallerand et al., 2003), the aim of the present study was to examine within-person variations in athletes' optimal functioning (i.e., positive and negative affect, athletic satisfaction, and quality of preparation and performance) as a function of passion types and need satisfaction over the course of three competitive seasons.
Method
Elite youth soccer players (n = 91) completed multi-section questionnaires on up to five occasions over the course of three competitive seasons.
Results
Results of Hierarchical Linear Modeling analyses showed that between-person variations in harmonious passion (HP) were positively related to optimal functioning, whereas it was only partially the case with obsessive passion (OP). Moreover, within-person variations in the satisfaction of autonomy, relatedness, and competence were also associated with increases in athletes' psychological well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect, and athletic satisfaction). Additionally, results from a multilevel indirect effects model revealed that HP and increases in competence were both positively related to increases in the quality of athletes' preparation, which in turn led to increases in performance, as rated by coaches, over the span of three competitive seasons.
Conclusions
Overall, the results offer support for the effects of needs and passion on optimal functioning and are discussed in line with their implications for athletes in elite youth sports settings.
Objective: Researchers conceptualize grit as the combination of two facets: perseverance of effort and consistency of interests toward long‐term goals. We tested the reliability of grit facet scores across the globe and examined how differently each grit facet related to well‐being and personality strengths.
Method: An international sample of 7,617 participants from 6 of the 7 continents (excluding Antarctica) completed an online survey.
Results: Confirmatory factor analyses and omega reliability coefficients indicated that the 12 items from the original Grit Scale were multidimensional and reliably measured perseverance of effort and consistency of interests. Concurrent validity analyses showed that perseverance of effort was moderately to strongly related to subjective well‐being, beliefs about well‐being, and personality strengths, whereas consistency of interests had weak or negative correlations with these outcomes. The stronger relations with perseverance of effort were replicated across 7 regions of the world. The presence of overall grit was supported in individualistic countries, but not collectivistic countries (Latin America, Asia).
Conclusions: We discuss the multidimensionality of grit, including a conceptual understanding of overall grit and how it may differ across cultures. We suggest well‐being and strengths researchers study grit facets separately due to their differential validity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Grit—individuals’ perseverance of effort and consistency of interests—was introduced in 2007 as new construct that predicts different achievement outcomes. To date, most studies examining grit's prediction of achievement have not included other predictors in their analyses. Therefore, we assessed grit's incremental validity for school achievement above theoretically and empirically related predictors, in two adolescent student samples from Germany. Study 1 (N = 227) examined grit's relative importance for students’ school grades (GPA, math, German) when controlling for prior school grades, the Big Five personality traits, school engagement, values, expectancies for success, and self-efficacy. In Study 2 (N = 586), intelligence, conscientiousness, and established constructs from motivation and engagement literatures were controlled to investigate grit's relative importance for GPA, math grades and test performance in math. In both studies, relative weight analyses revealed that the grit subscales added little explanatory power. Results question grit's unique prediction of scholastic success.
Previous studies conducted in different settings have raised criticisms regarding the two-factor model of grit (perseverance of effort + consistency of interests) and its ability to account for individual differences in this personal attribute. A recent qualitative investigation in the Philippines (a collectivist society) suggests that a Triarchic Model of Grit may be more appropriate, with dimensions of perseverance of effort, consistency of interests, and adaptability to situations. The study reported here, involving Filipino undergraduate students, had three interrelated phases to investigate psychometric properties of a newly developed Triarchic Model of Grit Scale (TMGS). In Phase 1 the factor structure of TMGS was determined by exploratory factor analysis. In Phase 2 the scale was refined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In Phase 3 the revised scale was cross-validated using CFA with a replication sample. Results indicated that scores from TMGS were valid, reliable and invariant across gender. Grit dimensions were associated with academic, career exploration, and talent development self-efficacy, as well as conscientiousness.
Entrepreneurial passion has been proposed as a central characteristic of entrepreneurs, theorized to influence a host of entrepreneurial behaviors as well as firm performance. The current study explores one set of pathways leading from developer passion to performance, identifying self-regulatory mode (locomotion and assessment) and grit as significant conduits of this relationship. In this study, we use multi-source survey data, with 1 year lagged performance data, to empirically examine relationships between developer passion, self-regulatory mode, grit, and performance. Using path analysis modeling, we find that the relationship between developer passion and grit is mediated by both locomotion and assessment, with results indicating a positive relationship between locomotion and grit and a negative relationship between assessment and grit. Our results also reveal a positive relationship between grit and venture performance. Implications of these findings to research and practice are then discussed.
Objectives
Research on passion has demonstrated the existence of two roads toward sports performance through the effects of deliberate practice (Vallerand et al., 2007, 2008). The first emanates from harmonious passion (HP) and contributes to both performance and psychological well-being. The second stems from obsessive passion (OP), and performance comes at the cost of well-being. The present research proposes that need satisfaction (Deci & Ryan, 2000) mediates the relation of HP, but not OP, with both outcomes. In Study 2, achievement goals were added to the model. Mastery goals were expected to mediate the positive relation between HP and outcomes, whereas performance-avoidance goals would be associated with OP and, thus be detrimental to athletes.
Design
Two studies using correlational (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) designs.
Method
Study 1 (N = 172) was conducted with soccer players. Study 2 was conducted with hockey players (N = 598). Athletes completed measures of passion, need satisfaction, life satisfaction, deliberate practice, and achievement goals (Study 2 only). Coaches assessed performance in Study 1. Study 2 used games played in competitive leagues over 15 years to measure performance.
Results
Analyses using SEM provided support for the mediating role of need satisfaction (Study 1 and 2) and achievement goals (Study 2) in the relation of HP with outcomes. In contrast, deliberate practice (Study 1 and 2) meditated the relation between OP and performance.
Conclusions
This research supported the mediating role of need satisfaction in the ‘two roads to performance” (Vallerand et al., 2007, 2008).
Research has been dedicated to exploring the personality variables that facilitate goal pursuit. Conscientiousness and grit are closely related individual difference variables that have been postulated to influence goal pursuit. Conscientiousness refers to self-regulation in the pursuit of tasks or goals. Grit refers to the enduring effort that is applied to long term goals, and can be subdivided into two sub-components: perseverance of effort and consistency of interest. Unlike perseverance of effort which is robustly correlated with conscientiousness, consistency of interest is less strongly related to conscientiousness. The present study examines how a third variable, self-concept clarity, may interact with conscientiousness to differentially predict sub-components of grit. Results indicated that conscientiousness interacts with self-concept clarity to predict the consistency of interest component of grit; however, no interactive effect was found when predicting the perseverance of effort component of grit. The implications of these findings, as well as possible avenues for future research are discussed.
Introduction
Well-being declines during the first year of university. We examined if change in self-compassion was indirectly related to change in well-being through change in psychological need satisfaction during the first year of university.
Methods
First year university students (N = 189, 77.2% female) completed self-report questionnaires at the beginning of the first semester and approximately five months later. Path analysis and bootstrapping procedures were used to examine residualized change scores.
Results
Change in self-compassion was positively related to (ps < 0.05) change in psychological need satisfaction (β = 0.49) and negatively related to change in negative affect (β = − 0.24). Change in psychological need satisfaction was positively associated (ps < 0.05) with change in vitality (β = 0.58) and change in positive affect (β = 0.52) and negatively associated with change in negative affect (β = − 0.29). Change in self-compassion was indirectly related to change in vitality (b = 0.56, 95% bootstrapped bias corrected confidence interval (BcCI)[0.38, 0.77]), positive affect (b = 0.41, 95%BcCI [0.27, 0.58]), and negative affect (b = − 0.26, 95%BcCI[− 0.41, − 0.13]) through change in psychological need satisfaction.
Conclusions
During the first year of university, change in self-compassion was associated with change in well-being because self-compassion enhanced psychological need satisfaction. Results highlight the potential of enhancing self-compassion during first year university to help mitigate student declines in well-being.
The purpose of this research was to shed light on the paradoxical relationships between perfectionism and academic adjustment. It was proposed that the positive relationship between self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and academic adjustment is due to harmonious passion (HP) for one's studies, which triggers positive affect. Conversely, it is proposed obsessive passion (OP) for studies, through negative affect, mediates the negative relationship of both SOP and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) with academic adjustment. These hypotheses were supported in two studies. Furthermore, Study 2 revealed that the positive effects of SOP are due to striving for perfection, a facet of SOP (Campbell & Di Paula, 2002). In contrast, the negative relationship between SOP and academic adjustment is due to the importance of being perfect (another facet of SOP). Results provide insights on the role of perfectionism in academic adjustment and yield implications for the field of educational psychology.
It is just over a decade since Vallerand et al. (J Personal Soc Psychol 85:756-767, 2003) introduced the dualistic model of passion. In this study, we conduct a meta-analytical review of relationships between Vallerand et al’s two passions (viz. harmonious and obsessive), and intrapersonal outcomes, and test the moderating role of age, gender, domain, and culture. A systematic literature search yielded 94 studies, within which 27 criterion variables were reported. These criterion variables derived from four research areas within the intrapersonal sphere: (a) well-/ill-being, (b) motivation factors, (c) cognitive outcomes and, (d) behaviour and performance. From these areas we retrieved 1308 independent effect sizes and analysed them using random-effects models. Results showed harmonious passion positively corresponded with positive intrapersonal outcomes (e.g., positive affect, flow, performance). Obsessive passion, conversely, showed positive associations with positive and negative intrapersonal outcomes (e.g., negative affect, rumination, vitality). Correlations were largely invariant across age and gender, but certain relationships were moderated by domain and culture. Implications are discussed.
Objectives
We examined if harmonious and obsessive passion for watching hockey were differentially related to stress experiences during the 2012–2013 National Hockey League (NHL) lockout.
Design
Cross-sectional data were collected from 256 undergraduate hockey fans.
Method
Participants completed questionnaires that measured passion types, stress appraisals, coping, and how they attended to lockout-related information.
Results
Obsessive passion was positively associated with stress appraisals, most types of coping, and with avoiding information about the lockout. Harmonious passion was unrelated to stress appraisals, showed few relationships with coping, and was positively related with monitoring lockout-related information. Structural equation modelling supported a model whereby threat appraisal mediated the relationship between obsessive passion and disengagement-oriented coping.
Conclusions
Appraising, coping with, and paying attention to the NHL lockout among hockey fans varied to the extent that their passion for hockey was more harmonious or obsessive.
The well-being of residents in general surgery is an important factor in their success within training programs. Consequently, it is important to identify individuals at risk for burnout and low levels of well-being as early as possible. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that resident well-being may be related to grit, a psychological factor defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals.
One hundred forty-one residents across 9 surgical specialties at 1 academic medical center were surveyed; the response rate was 84%. Perseverance was measured using the Short Grit Scale. Resident well-being was measured with (1) burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and (2) psychological well-being using the Dupuy Psychological General Well-Being Scale.
Grit was predictive of later psychological well-being both as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (B = -.20, P = .05) and as measured by the Psychological General Well-Being Scale (B = .27, P < .01).
Measuring grit may identify those who are at greatest risk for poor psychological well-being in the future. These residents may benefit from counseling to provide support and improve coping skills.
The CES-D scale is a short self-report scale designed to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. The items of the scale are symptoms associated with depression which have been used in previously validated longer scales. The new scale was tested in household interview surveys and in psychiatric settings. It was found to have very high internal consistency and adequate test- retest repeatability. Validity was established by pat terns of correlations with other self-report measures, by correlations with clinical ratings of depression, and by relationships with other variables which support its construct validity. Reliability, validity, and factor structure were similar across a wide variety of demographic characteristics in the general population samples tested. The scale should be a useful tool for epidemiologic studies of de pression.