Correlates Of Grit In Young Adults

Abstract

Grit refers to the zeal that an individual has to pursue his long-term goals even in the face of obstacles. Persistence towards achievement of the goal is the key to grit. The study is an attempt to develop better understanding of the nature of grit and its correlates in young adults by elaborating on the experiencing of various everyday behaviors shown by young adults.

Factors such as optimism, self-efficacy and resilience are expected to correlate positively to grit whereas those of stress, anxiety and depression are expected to have an inverse relationship with grit which formed the premise for this study. Results indicate a positive relationship of grit with optimism, self-efficacy and resilience and a negative correlation of stress, anxiety and depression with grit.

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Grit can be described as a personality trait characterized by passion and persistence for a long-term goal being pursued by the individual. Any distractions or obstacles do not swerve him from the pursuit of his goal. Those who show grit are able to self-regulate themselves and postpone their need for any reinforcement while working on the task. For a long time, it could not be deciphered as to what is that ‘thing’ which determines success: skills, talent, genes, IQ, luck or fate? However, subsequent research could not establish a positive relationship. However, evidence was found for grit being the highest predictor of an individual achieving success (Duckworth et al, 2007).

One of the biggest indicators of grit would remain the ability of an individual to delay gratification while engaged in a task. Another characteristic would be the ability to stay at the task even in the face of any challenges that come their way. This characteristic delves a little deeper into the beliefs an individual has about his self, the self-efficacy. Obstacles or failures are not viewed as reasons to quit by gritty individuals, rather they take it as an opportunity to grow stronger and develop their skill set.

Resilience can be understood as the capacity of an individual to face the trials of life that one has to endure, whether these trials are related to their family life, vocational life, health, or financial issues. It has often been described as the ability to ‘bounce back’ from the pitfalls faces due to various stressors. Resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in your life as you deal with stressful circumstances and traumatic events.

The word optimism derives from the Latin word ‘optimum’ meaning ‘best’ indicating the tendency of an individual to believe in the best outcome. Optimists prefer to look at the bigger picture and hold global, encouraging expectancies about their future; they seldom cry about the unfairness of life. They are always open for adventure and take everything as a challenge to gain a new experience, seeing all mistakes and errors as opportunities to learn.

Stress can be understood as that uncomfortable feeling which is accompanied by biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes (Baum, 1990). Although, some amount of stress is considered essential for achievement in life as well as safety, high levels of stress have been reported to harm the health of an individual by adversely affecting immune, neuro-endocrine, cardiovascular and central nervous systems (Anderson, 1998).

Anxiety refers to the worry an individual experiences with regard to future events and the fear he experiences for the present. This anxiety is mostly a generalized feeling which pervades any situation which is considered threatening. An individual tends to avoid any situation that generates anxiety in him. Anxiety has also been found to be associated with various physical and psychological symptoms. Anxiety is, further, a reaction to stress.

Those not happy with their lot generally report themselves to be depressed. However, in most cases, this pertains to the mood change that happens when an individual experiences some sadness in life or are stressed due to various life circumstances. This depressed mood may serve to be beneficial also for some by providing them an opportunity to explore their self as well as their lot. Whereas clinical depression is a severe, pervasive condition that debilitates an individual in all manners, people with clinical depression often find it difficult to engage in any type of activity.

With stress being a precursor to anxiety and depression (Mirescu & Gould, 2006), the study was undertaken with a view to establish the relationship between grit and these three variables to lay the groundwork towards better understanding of the protective nature of grit. Further, the dearth of sufficient literature on the correlates of grit led to the study seeking to understand the nature of the relationship between grit and self-efficacy, resilience and optimism.

Objectives

To study the relationship of grit with optimism, resilience, self-efficacy, stress, anxiety and depression.

Hypotheses

• There will be a positive correlation between grit and optimism of college-going adults.
• There will be a positive correlation between grit and resilience of college-going adults.
• There will be a positive correlation between grit and self-efficacy of college-going adults.
• There will be a negative correlation between grit and stress of college-going adults.
• There will be a negative correlation between grit and anxiety of college-going adults.
• There will be a negative correlation between grit and depression of college-going adults.

Sample

The total sample for the present study consisted of 120 college-going young adults. The age range of the sample was 18-24 years with an average age of 22.9 years. The subjects participating in the study, although belonging to various cities, were residing in the same city during the tenure of the research project. Although, demarcation on the basis of gender was not done, the sample consisted of 65 females and 55 males.

Tools

Grit Scale (GS)

The Grit Scale constructed and standardized by Duckworth et al. (2007) is designed to measure grit by assessing individuals on perseverance of efforts and consistency of interest. The original scale consisted of 27 items which was reduced to 17 items for the final version after further analysis. The response alternatives range on a 5-point Likert scale from ‘not like me at all’ to ‘very much like me at all’. High score indicates high levels of grit. The scale reports high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) ranging between 0.77 and 0.85 (Duckworth et al., 2007).

Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale

Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was constructed and standardized by Connor and Davidson (2003) with the aim of assessing resilience in adults. The scale measures resilience through 25 items followed by 5 response option ranging from not true at all to true nearly all the times. The scores on the scale range from 0 to 4 with a high score indicating high resilience. The reliability of the scale was established to be sound through test- retest method. The validity of the scale has been established through construct validity.

Life Orientation Test-Revised

Life Orientation Test-Revised was constructed and standardized by Carver, Scheier, & Segerstrom (2010) with the aim to assess optimism in adults. The scale measures optimism through 10 items (revised form) followed by 5 response options strongly disagree to strongly agree. The scores on the scale range from 0 to 4 with high score indicate high hopefulness and confidence about the future, positive about every step that leads to success. The test-retest reliability of the scale has been set up. The validity of the scale has been established through criterion validity.

General Self-Efficacy Scale

The General Self-efficacy Scale is a ten-item scale standardized by Schwarzer & Jerusalem (1995) with the aim of self-reporting perceptions of one’s self-efficacy. The items are followed by four response options ranging from not true at all to exactly true. Total score on the scale can range from 10 to 40 with a high score indicating higher self-efficacy. Internal consistency for the scale was found to be appropriate with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.76 to 0.90. The scale was reported to correlate positively with emotion, optimism, and work satisfaction and negatively correlated to depression, health complaints, stress, burnout and anxiety.

Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS21)

DASS21 constructed and standardized by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. The 21-item scale measures the three emotional states keeping in view researcher as well as clinical specifications. Each item is scored from 0 (did not apply to me at all over the last week) to 3 (applied to me very much or most of the time over the past week). High scores on depression scale indicate a self-disparaging, dispirited and pessimistic outlook; on anxiety scale indicate an apprehensive and panicky personality; and on stress scale indicates an inability to relax, high irritability and intolerance towards delay. Internal consistency of the subscales was high, with Cronbach’s alphas of 0.94, 0.88, and 0.93 for depression, anxiety, and stress respectively. Construct validity was further supported by moderately high correlations with indices of convergent validity (0.65 and 0.75), and lower correlations with indices of divergent validity (range −0.22 to 0.07).

Procedure

The research design for the present study is correlational in nature. The study attempted to understand the relationship of grit with stress, anxiety and depression as well as self-efficacy. The scales were administered in small group of 6-8 subjects at a time. The collection of the questionnaires was done immediately after the subjects answered all the questions and it was ensured that the subjects had answered all the questions.

Results & Discussion

To test the hypotheses set, the data obtained was analyzed with the help of Pearson’s Product Moment Method. The first hypothesis under study investigated relationship between optimism and grit. The correlation coefficient was found to be +0.61. Hence, the first hypothesis was accepted. The second hypothesis sought to find out the relationship between grit and resilience. The correlation coefficient was found to be +0.65. Hence, the second hypothesis was accepted.

The third hypothesis set stated that there will be a positive correlation between grit and self-efficacy of young adults. The correlation coefficient was found to be +0.48, which indicates a positive correlation between the two variables. Thus, the hypothesis set is accepted. The fourth hypothesis explored the nature of the relationship between stress and grit with the correlation coefficient being found to be -0.35 which indicates a negative correlation between the two variables. Thus, the hypothesis set is accepted.

The fifth hypothesis set states that there will be a negative correlation between anxiety and grit of college-going adults. The correlation coefficient was found to be -0.30 which indicates a negative correlation between the two variables. Thus, the hypothesis set is accepted. The sixth hypothesis under study stated that there will be a negative correlation between depression and grit of college-going adults. The correlation coefficient was found to be -0.49 which indicates a significant, negative correlation between the two variables. Thus, the hypothesis set is accepted.

Grit is a non-cognitive trait which can be understood in terms of an individual’s perseverance towards his/her long-term goals. A gritty individual can be described as someone who endures in efforts toward meeting goals despite a lack of instantaneous fulfillment; despite disappointment and hardships; and in the face of obstacles and challenges.

As individuals grow, dealing with life situations aid in their growth and they develop their ideals and role models. They are matured enough to formulate the long-term goals of life and are passionate about attaining those goals. Although, as yet in their adolescence, a sense of direction in life is present which helps direct them to the goals that they need to pursue in life; what they wish to achieve, where they wish to reach, what path would they like to take to achieve it is all set in their mind. Contrary to the previous generations, who were dependent on the adults of their family to help choose their life path; the youth today have many resources available to them to help them take an informed decision. Not only has awareness increased in the students and their parents; internships are available to help them explore the world of work; the internet also provides a rich source of vocation-related information. Assuming responsibility at this age is instrumental in forming a stable self-image and establishment of self-efficacious feelings.

Carl Rogers belonging to the humanist tradition in his theory of self-concept posited that an individual’s belief about his own self can influence his/her behaviour. Rogers’ conception of the self as composed of the real and the ideal self leads to congruence in personality. He believed that when a person’s ideal self is consistent with his actual experiences, he is in a state of congruence; otherwise incongruence, an undesirable state, prevails. As humans have a tendency to remain in or achieve a state of congruence, it is expected that they work towards integrating their real and ideal self. As an individual gains skills and integrates learning from various life experiences, he develops a more self-efficacious view of the self. And when one is aware of all that one can achieve, he would exert more efforts to complete that in spite of the obstacles present; hence, displaying higher levels of grit.

All variables pertain to goal attainment, grit is about achieving the goal; self-efficacy is about the belief in one’s ability to achieve the goal; resilience is the ability of an individual to move past hurdles to achieve his goals; and optimism is the belief that the outcome of an action will be positive. This involves attentiveness and introspection by the individual. Those exhibiting high levels of self-efficacy set challenging goals and maintain commitment towards them, any failure only serves at them intensifying their efforts at winning. Those resilient will fall, get up, brush themselves, get back in the field and achieve what they set out to do, albeit through a different path. Those optimistic display faith in things ending up right, even if they are not going right during the process. Thus, the observed result is as expected.

Depression is characterized by experiencing a lack of interest and pleasure in activities that previously provided satisfaction, lack of energy to deal with even daily/routine tasks, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt. Whereas, grit is characterized by a zeal for achieving what the mind has been set to. A gritty person shows sustained efforts towards the achievement of his goal, however slow-moving the progress. Gritty individuals show intrinsic motivation; he may be disheartened at a point, but he never stops in the pursuit of his dream. Regan et al. (2013) remains another significant study which has examined grit and depression. Both the states are opposing in life force and, hence, the observed relationship is expected.

Anxiety and stress are characterized intense feelings of unease, worry and fear experienced when the situation ahead is unpredictable or seems to be insurmountable. Elevated levels of anxiety and depression have been associated with increased occurrences of physical disease, relationship troubles and cognitive issues (Nutt, 2004). And lessened symptoms of the same indicate towards higher levels of well-being, optimal psychological functioning and experiences (Ryan & Deci, 2001). Subjective well-being, the cognitive and affective assessment of an individual’s life (Diener, 1994), remains a key approach within the hedonic paradigm of well-being and grit has been observed to relate to components of subjective well-being (Singh & Jha, 2008). Well-being used to occupy a significant position under the aegis of philosophy and has only recently started to influence the realm of science. The methods and approaches to improve the quality of life has become a major concern of the health industry, providing a spotlight not just for physical fitness, but on psychological health also.

Although, the study was not aimed at establishing the cause-and-effect relationship of grit with the other variables, it could be established that high levels of grit would correspond to lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Establishing a cause-and-effect interaction may aid psychologists as well as educators to help the young generation develop protective mechanisms against stress, anxiety and depression, the most pressing psychological issues in the youth at present. The youth are seemingly losing the ability to cope with any form of stressful situations which is highly detrimental not only for the individual and his family, but also to the society at large. The focus for all health professionals should remain trying to induce a more positive frame of reference in all individuals. The positive psychology movement also aims at achieving the same. Although neurotic and psychotic symptoms can’t be negated, laying the foundation of imbibing the positive traits at a young age should remain the major concern for all to help develop a more well-rounded personality.

The study was undertaken to gain better understanding of the relationship of grit with self-efficacy, stress, anxiety and depression. The analysis was done through Pearson’s Product Moment method of correlation which indicated grit to have a positive relationship with self-efficacy, optimism and resilience as well as a negative correlation with depression, stress and anxiety. These results indicate that having high levels of grit may aid an individual to combat excessive or negative stress, anxiety and depression as well as become better acquainted with one’s abilities and provide a new avenue for optimal development of personality.

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