Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhancing Grit: Possibility and Intervention Strategies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Grit

Abstract

This chapter suggests intervention strategies for enhancing grit. Since Duckworth’s introduction, grit has been demonstrated to be a critical personal characteristic in predicting positive educational, vocational, and well-being outcomes across many cultures. However, it is still unclear whether grit can be increased through interventions and how it could be achieved. While grit has been largely regarded as an unchanging personal trait, research in brain development, neuroscience, and psychological resources have indicated that grit may be malleable and teachable throughout the lifespan. This chapter presents the possibility of enhancing grit with longitudinal data and neuropsychological findings on brain development. Intervention strategies are then proposed for the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional domains of grit. In the cognitive domain, teaching grit, reflecting on one’s own and vicarious experiences of grit, adopting a growth mindset, and setting both long-term and short-term goals are suggested. In the behavioral domain, promoting brain development, increasing deliberate practices, and preventing the overuse of media are proposed. Lastly, in the emotional domain, overcoming negative emotions (e.g. stress and frustration) in the process of exercising grit, and promoting interest discovery through flow experiences are offered.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alan, S., Boneva, T., & Ertac, S. (2019). Ever failed, try again, succeed better: Results from a randomized educational intervention on grit. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 134(3), 1121–1162. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjz006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alarcon, S. (2018). The GAP model for student success: Goal setting, action planning, and progress monitoring (Master’s thesis, California State University, US).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, K., West, R., & Anderson, C. A. (2010). A negative association between video game experience and proactive cognitive control. Psychophysiology, 47(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00925.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A. (2005). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baruch-Feldman, C. (2017). The grit guide for teens: A workbook to help you build perseverance, self-control, and a growth mindset. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brougham, L., & Kashubeck-West, S. (2017). Impact of a growth mindset intervention on academic performance of students at two urban high schools. Professional School Counseling, 21(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X18764934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, S. M., Zelazo, P. D., & Faja, S. (2013). Executive function. In P. D. Zelazo (Ed.), Oxford handbook of developmental psychology (pp. 706–743). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casey, B. J., Tottenham, N., Liston, C., & Durston, S. (2005). Imaging the developing brain: What have we learned about cognitive development? Trends in Cognitive Science, 9, 104–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2005.01.011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Character Lab. (2018). Grit playbook. Retrived from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5980a22e9de4bb9ca8bce449/t/5bbe5c56652dea11f261f1ca/1539202135034/grit_fullcompiled_v2.pdf

  • Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: A review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593–600. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0495.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, H.-S. (2020). The relationship between interest, deliberate practice and grit of students in physical education classes. Korean Journal of Sports Science, 29(1), 525–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, J. A. (2018). The effects of academic self-efficacy, goal-self concordance, grit on academic related efforts. The Journal of Educational Research (Korea), 16(1), 41–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, M. M. (1984). Thoughts on a theory of constructive failure. Educational Psychologist, 19(2), 108–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461528409529286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, R. M. (2015). Teaching character: Grit, privilege, and American education’s obsession with novelty. The American Prospect. Retrieved November 27, 2017 from http://prospect.org/article/can-grit-save-american-education

  • Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diamond, A., & Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4-12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959–964. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204529.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • DiMenichi, B. C., & Richmond, L. L. (2015). Reflecting on past failures leads to increased perseverance and sustained attention. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 27(2), 180–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2014.995104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donohoe, C., Topping, K., & Hannah, E. (2012). The impact of an online in-tervention (Brainology) on the mindset and resiliency of secondary school pupils: A preliminary mixed methods study. Educational Psychology, 32(5), 641–655. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2012.675646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. New York: Scribner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth, A. L., & Eskreis-Winkler, L. (2013). True grit. The Observer, 26(4), 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth, A. L., Kirby, T. A., Tsukayama, E., Berstein, H., & Ericsson, K. A. (2011). Deliberate practice spells success: Why grittier competitors triumph at the National Spelling bee. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(2), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550610385872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the short grit scale (GRIT-S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890802634290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberger, R. (1992). Learned industriousness. Psychological Review, 99(2), 248–267. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.99.2.248.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Romer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eskreis-Winkler, L., Shulman, E. P., Young, V., Tsukayama, E., Brunwasser, S. M., & Duckworth, A. L. (2016). Using wise interventions to motivate deliberate practice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), 728–744. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000074.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Feinstein, S. (2007). Parenting the teenage brain: Understanding a work in progress. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giedd, J. N. (2008). The teen brain: Insights from neuroimaging. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4), 335–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.01.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giedd, J. N. (2015). The amazing teen brain. Scientific American, 312(6), 32–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giedd, J. N., Blumenthal, J., Jeffries, N. O., Castellanos, F. X., Lui, H., Zijdenbos, A., Paus, T., Evans, A. C., & Rapoport, J. L. (1999). Brain development during childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal MRI study. Nature Neuroscience, 2(10), 861–863.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00573-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ha, H. S., Lim, H. J., & Hwang, M. H. (2015). The group difference of grit and self-control and its relations to school maladjustment, academic achievement, and predictability of personality. Journal of Lifelong Learning Society, 11(3), 145–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P. L., Burrow, A. L., & Bronk, K. C. (2016). Persevering with positivity and purpose: An examination of purpose commitment and positive affect as predictors of grit. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(1), 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9593-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoerr, T. R. (2013). Fostering Grit: How do I prepare my students for the real world? (ASCD arias). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, M. H., Ha, H. S., & Kim, M. S. (2017). Grit and academic achievement among elementary school students: The mediating role of academic self-regulation. The Korean Journal of Elementary Counseling, 16(3), 301–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, M. H., Lim, H. J., & Choi, H. C. (2018). A reciprocal relationship between self-control and learning time among adolescents. The Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 18, 265–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jurado, M. B., & Rosselli, M. (2007). The elusive nature of executive functions: A review of our current understanding. Neuropsychology Review, 17(3), 213–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kapur, M. (2008). Productive failure. Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 379–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keegan, K. (2017). Identifying and building grit in language learners. English Teaching Forum, 55(3), 2–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, B. (2016). Effect of mindset change program on mindset, academic self-efficacy and goal orientation of elementary school students (Master’s thesis, Andong University, Korea).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, I.-S. (2018). Structural relationship among growth mind, self-regulation, grit, and intention of athletic participation in elementary school students. Journal of Korean Society for the Study of Physical Education, 23(3), 191–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. G., & Park, D. E. (2017). The longitudinal effects of theory of implicit intelligence on academic achievement: The mediating effect of grit. Journal of Educational Psychology (Korea), 31(1), 145–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, W. W. S. (2017). Relationships among grit, academic performance, perceived academic failure, and stress in associate degree students. Journal of Adolescence, 60, 148–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. S., & Jang, H. Y. (2018). The roles of growth mindset and grit in relation to hope and self-directed learning. Journal of the Korea Convergence Society, 9(1), 95–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. L., & Kwon, D. H. (2016). An analysis of structural relationship among locus of control, mindset, grit, and academic achievement. Korean Journal of Youth Studies, 23(11), 245–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S. R., & Sohn, Y. W. (2013). What are the strong predictors of academic achievement? - deliberate practice and grit. The Korean Journal of School Psychology, 10(3), 349–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lepper, M. R., & Hodell, M. (1989). Intrinsic motivation in the classroom. Research on Motivation in Education, 3, 73–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lim, H. J., & Hwang, M. H. (2014). The structural relationship among out-of-school activities, self-related constructs, and school satisfaction: Focusing on computer use and cultural activities. Journal of Educational Studies, 45(4), 111–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacNamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). Deliberate practice and performance in music, games, sports, education, and professions: A meta-analysis. Psychological Science, 25, 1608–1618. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614535810.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Major, C. (2013). Youth mentoring partnership’s friend fitness program: Theoretical foundations and promising preliminary findings from a new positive psychology intervention for grit and positive youth development. Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Pro-jects, 48, University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/48

  • O’Rourke, E., Haimovitz, K., Ballweber, C., Dweck, C., & Popović, Z. (2014, April). Brain points: A growth mindset incentive structure boosts persistence in an educational game. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 3339–3348). ACM. Retrieved November 29, 2017 from http://grail.cs.washington.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/orourke2014bpa.pdf. https://doi.org/10.1145/2556288.2557157

  • Perkins-Gough, D. (2013). The significance of grit: A conversation with Angela Lee Duckworth. Educational Leadership, 71(1), 14–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pueschel, A., & Tucker, M. L. (2018). Achieving grit through the growth mindset. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 20, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raphiphatthana, B., Jose, P. E., & Chobthamkit, P. (2019). The association between mindfulness and grit: An east vs. west cross-cultural comparison. Mindfulness, 10(1), 146–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rimfeld, K., Kovas, Y., Dale, P. S., & Plomin, R. (2016). True grit and genetics: Predicting academic achievement from personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), 780–789. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000089.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rosselli, M., & Christopher, D. M. (2019). Executive dysfunctions associated with the use of information technology. In A. Ardila, S. Fatima, & M. Rosselli (Eds.), Dysexecutive syndromes (pp. 177–197). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25077-5.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rounds, J., & Su, R. (2014). The nature and power of interests. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(2), 98–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414522812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shechtman, N., DeBarger, A. H., Dornsife, C., Rosier, S., & Yarnall, L. (2013). Promoting grit, tenacity, and perseverance: Critical factors for success in the 21st century. Washington, DC: Department of Education, Office of Education Technology. Retrieved November 27, 2018 from http://pgbovine.net/OET-Draft-Grit-Report-2-17-13.pdf

  • Silvia, P. J. (2005). What is interesting? Exploring the appraisal structure of interest. Emotion, 5, 89–102. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2005-02259-008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silvia, P. J. (2008a). Appraisal components and emotion traits: Examining the appraisal basis of trait curiosity. Cognition and Emotion, 22, 94–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930701298481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silvia, P. J. (2008b). Interest-the curious emotion. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(1), 57–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00548.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song, M.-S. (2019). The effect of grit enhancing program on grit, mindset and self-control of elementary school students (Master’s thesis, Gyeongin National University of Education, Korea).

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L. (2013). Does recent research on adolescent brain development inform the mature minor doctrine? Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 38(3), 256–267. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmp/jht017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strayhorn, T. L. (2014). What role does grit play in academic success of black male collegians at predominately white institutions? Journal of African American Studies, 18(1), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, S. A., Jr., & Silvia, P. J. (2006). Must interesting things be pleasant? A test of competing appraisal structures. Emotion, 6, 670–674. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.6.4.670.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, J. R., & Jia, R. (2015). The role of grit in predicting student performance in introductory programming courses: An exploratory study. In Proceedings of the Southern Association for Information Systems Conference, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA March 20–21, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from http://aisel.aisnet.org/sais2015/21

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Gyeongin National University of Education, Incheon, South Korea

    Mae-Hyang Hwang

  2. Graduate School of Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea

    JeeEun Karin Nam

Authors
  1. Mae-Hyang Hwang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. JeeEun Karin Nam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mae-Hyang Hwang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Human Performance Management, University of Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Llewellyn Ellardus van Zyl

  2. Department of Human Resource Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Chantal Olckers

  3. School of Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa

    Leoni van der Vaart

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hwang, MH., Nam, J.K. (2021). Enhancing Grit: Possibility and Intervention Strategies. In: van Zyl, L.E., Olckers, C., van der Vaart, L. (eds) Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Grit. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57389-8_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation