Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance - U.S. Department of ...

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researchers have examined how a wide range of student and adult populations respond to these
types of items, examining correlations with other variables. Exhibit 8 shows Dweck, Chiu, and
Hong’s (1995) scale to assess an individual’s implicit Theory of Intelligence as fixed or subject
to growth with effort. This scale has been used in a many research studies over two decades,
demonstrating key differences in how individuals with growth versus fixed mindsets deal with
challenges. Another example is the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, a 63-item self-report
assessment about facets of strategies and tactics (e.g., formulating a plan, implementing a plan,
assessing the effectiveness of a plan) (Brown, Miller, & Lawendowski, 1999). Also, we learned
in our interview with Professor Camille Farrington of the University of Chicago Consortium for
Chicago Schools (the same group that released the Raikes Foundation-funded review of the
literature on noncognitive factors) that her group is currently developing self-report instruments
for teachers and students to measure all of the reviewed noncognitive factors at the same time—
academic behaviors, academic perseverance, social skills, academic mindsets, and learning
strategies. This new set of measures will allow researchers to examine important relationships
among these factors. Additionally, commercial products such as the VIA Character Strengths
Inventory (http://www.viacharacter.org) and the Clifton StrengthsFinder
(http://www.strengthsfinder.com) can be used to help individuals identify core enduring
strengths, of which grit is one of many.
Exhibit 7. Items from a self-report measure of Grit
Consistency of Interest Scale a
1. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.
2. New ideas and new projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.
3. I become interested in new pursuits every few months.
4. My interests change from year to year.
5. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.
6. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to
complete.
Perseverance of Effort Scale
1. I have achieved a goal that took years of work.
2. I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.
3. I finish whatever I begin.
4. Setbacks don’t discourage me.
5. I am a hard worker.
6. I am diligent.
a
Higher score reflects lower consistency of interest; item was reverse scored to create scale.
Source: Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for
long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.
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