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GRIT SCALE

About

The Grit Scale is a self-reported measure of how much determination candidates show when they work on challenging problems. It measures inclination to work on difficult tasks until they are finished and whether they show perseverance to achieve long-term goals.

The grit scale has been shown to effectively predict success, even when other factors such as intelligence are taken into account (Duckworth et al. 2007). Angela Duckworth’s Ted-Talk provides a comprehensive introduction into the concept of grit and its predictive power in the real world and her book “GRIT the Power of Passion and Perseverance” provides a more detailed account of how grit fosters life success.

Example

Candidates were shown 8 statements and asked to rate whether they agreed that the statement applied to them, with answers ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” For example:

 

I work hard at something until it is finished.

 

The answers to all 8 questions are then averaged to form the Grit Scale. Candidates with high scores on the Grit Scale generally exhibit more determination and grit.

More Information

 

Please see:

  • Duckworth, Angela L., Christopher Peterson, Michael D. Matthews, and Dennis R. Kelly. "Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals." Journal of personality and social psychology 92, no. 6 (2007): 1087.

  • Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. 2016. Sribner

 

 

 

 

 

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