Best of Series: The Power of Passion and Perseverance With Angela Duckworth
Nov 23, 2023
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Angela Duckworth, researcher and author on grit and perseverance, discusses her background in psychology and her interest in studying the relationship between talent and effort. They also delve into the genetic influence on human behavior and characteristics, the concept of equifinality in achieving goals, and measuring grit while acknowledging criticism in the field of science.
Grit is defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals, separate from self-control.
Achievement is a product of skill and effort, with effort counting twice in building skill.
Grit relates to life-defining goals and possesses a unique enduring passion component.
Deep dives
The Emergence of Grit
Angela Duckworth explains that the idea of grit emerged from her interviews with high achievers in various domains. She found that highly successful individuals consistently displayed great effort towards a goal and had a stable, enduring passion for that goal. This led her to define grit as passion and perseverance for long-term goals.
Grit and Self-Control
Duckworth distinguishes between grit and self-control. Self-control is the ability to choose between conflicting impulses that offer immediate rewards versus long-term benefits. On the other hand, grit involves sustained effort and passion for a superordinate goal, which is more abstract in nature. While self-control and grit are correlated, grit focuses on long-term, meaningful goals.
The Formula for Achievement
Duckworth proposes a formula for achievement: Skill x Effort x Effort. Skill is developed through effort, and achievement is the product of both skill and effort. Effort counts twice because it contributes to building skill and makes that skill productive. However, talent also plays a role, and in order for effort to have a significant impact, one must possess a certain threshold of talent.
The Nature of Grit
Grit is distinct from self-control and only pertains to goals that are part of an individual's life defining hierarchy. It involves choosing to do something hard that aligns with one's core values and gives life meaning. Grit is considered a facet of the broader personality trait of conscientiousness, although it possesses a unique passion component that sets it apart. While self-control and grit share some similarities, they differ in terms of the goals they relate to and the enduring passion associated with grit.
Grit, IQ, and Standardized Test Scores
Grit has been found to be partly heritable, similar to other personality traits. When it comes to predicting academic achievement, grit alone may not be as effective as the broader conscientiousness trait. Standardized test scores, while correlated with IQ, do not perfectly capture an individual's potential for achievement. Factors such as deliberate practice and grade point average can have a stronger influence on outcomes. While IQ and grit are important, the complexity and nuances involved in these constructs require avoiding oversimplifications.
In this week's episode of The Psychology Podcast, we continue the "Best of Series" with Angela Duckworth. Angela Duckworth researches self-control and grit, which is defined as passion and perseverance for long term goals. Her research has demonstrated that there are factors that can be more predictive of success than IQ. In this episode we cover some of her findings on grit, including academic and popular misconceptions of this work. We also discuss research on standardized testing, self-control and more.
