| Citation | Study Aim | Study Design | Sample size and characteristics | Data/Statistical Analysis | Results |
| | To explore the association between grit and four achievement goals (learning-approach/ avoidance, performance-approach/ avoidance). | Cross-sectional survey | N = 509 University students in Turkey (60% male) | Correlation, multiple regression | Grit was positively related to learning-approach goal orientations and negatively to learning-avoidance, performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations. Learning-approach goal orientation positively predicted grit. All other goal orientations negatively predicted grit. |
| | To investigate the association between grit, other individual difference variables, and retention in four different contexts: military, workplace sales, high school, and marriage. | Cross-sectional online survey (study 3) | N = 4813 students from 98 Chicago Public schools; 45% Hispanic, 43% Black; 58% male. | Correlations, binary logistic regression, hierarchical logistic regression | Grit correlated with both academic conscientiousness and school motivation. Grit remained a significant predictor of graduation after controlling for all measured individual difference variables and situational variables, as well as standardized achievement test scores and demographic covariates. Gritty juniors were more likely to graduate from high school their senior year. |
| | To develop and validate the Academic Diligence Task (ADT), designed to assess the tendency to expend effort on academic tasks which are tedious in the moment but valued in the long term. | Cross-sectional study (experimental) | N = 921 high school US seniors; 36% Black, 33% White, 21% Asian; 49% female; 55% from low income families | Multilevel growth curve analyses, intercorrelations, partial correlations, simultaneous regression models | Grit predicted unique variance in ADT performance when controlling for agreeableness. Performance on the ADT was associated with individual differences in grit above and beyond demographics, intelligence, and attitudes toward math. Finally, Big Five agreeableness did not confound the association between performance on the ADT and grit. |
| | To examine validity of three proposed self-regulation predictors of school outcomes― Conscientiousness, Grit and Emotion Regulation Ability (ERA). | Cross-sectional study | N = 213 students from secondary grade level (94.3%) and college preparatory year (5.9%); 52.6% males; 74.4% White/Caucasian, 13.7% Asian/ Asian-American. | Correlations, hierarchical regression analyses | Grit did not correlate significantly with GPA and academic honors, but correlations with the remaining school outcomes were low but significant. All school outcomes were significantly predicted by Conscientiousness and ERA, but not Grit. Grit (Step 2) did not explain additional variance in school outcomes beyond personality. |
| | To test the role of grit in explaining the academic success of Black male collegians’ at predominantly White institutions and explore whether grit adds incremental predictive validity in explaining college grades over and beyond traditional measures. | Cross-sectional survey | N = 140 Black male students who were enrolled full time at a large, predominantly White, public research university (61% first-generation; 86% lived on-campus) | Correlations, hierarchical regression | Grit was positively related to college grades for Black males. Background traits, academic factors, and grit explained 24% of the variance in Black male’s college grades. Grittier Black males earned higher grades than less gritty same-race male peers, even after controlling for differences in age, year in school, engagement activities, degree aspirations, and prior achievement. Grit was a positive predictor of Black males’ grades in college, affecting grades almost as equally as high school GPA and ACT score. |
| | To investigate the hypothesis that a higher order, self-transcendent purpose for learning in school would promote academic self-regulation on tedious schoolwork. | Cross-sectional web-based survey (Study 1) | N = 1364 seniors in their final semester at one of 17 participating urban public high schools (over 90% of low Socio-Economic Status) | Correlations, ordinary least squares regressions | A self-transcendent purpose for learning predicted greater grit, personal meaningfulness of schoolwork and academic self-control. A self-oriented, intrinsic motive for learning was a significantly weaker predictor of reported grit compared to a purpose for learning, |