Charting the Grit Landscape: A Network Analysis of Its Items, Dimensions, and Influences

• In Event: The Contextual Specification of Grit: A Critical Reflection on Domain-General Grit and Proposals for Domain-Specific Grit

Abstract

Traditional research on grit has relied on “static” associations represented by latent entities or summed scores across different items, yielding a muddled, fragmented set of findings that provide limited theoretical and practical utility. By extending past scholarship, the present research weaved four independent empirical studies together and adopted an innovative network analysis perspective to gain a deeper and visualized understanding of the intricate interconnections and dynamics between different items/dimensions of grit and their relationships with a broad range of outcomes in adolescence.

In each empirical study, adolescents completed psychometrically sound, culturally validated measures. The network of grit, at both item and dimensional levels, was analyzed separately, and secondly, the combined network of grit with academic (academic engagement), socioemotional (internalizing problems and prosocial behavior) and behavioral outcomes (externalizing problems) was estimated. In network analysis, items and dimensions (perseverance and consistency) of grit were visually represented as nodes, and the relations between those items/dimensions and selected outcomes were represented by the edges, after adjusting for key sociodemographic variables. Each model was analyzed concerning node strength and expected influence to determine (a) the central items/dimensions of grit, and (b) how these items/dimensions were related to selected outcomes.

More specifically, Study 1 (N = 2, 677) aimed to initially map the structure of grit and associated outcomes using a large-scale, correlational sample of Chinese adolescents. Study 2 (N = 1, 674) extended the intracultural generalizability of those observed structures in Study 1 by utilizing a Chinese adolescent sample with three ethnic groups. Network comparison analysis was then performed to estimate any similarities and differences in the network model established across those three intracultural groups. Study 3 (N = 650) employed a two-wave longitudinal design to ascertain how the grit network longitudinally predicted the same outcomes, additionally controlling for a sibling construct of grit—conscientiousness. Finally, Study 4 (N = 21, 899) intended to cross-culturally replicate the findings from Study 3 using a large-scale, population-based sample of Norwegian adolescents. Preliminary findings across four independent studies identified psychometrically generalizable, culturally applicable network patterns of grit: (a) items “Setbacks don’t discourage me,” “I am diligent,” and perseverance dimension were situated in the central of grit network models; and (b) those observed central items and dimension strongly, both concurrently and prospectively, predicted academic engagement (versus other selected outcomes).

In aggregate, the present research advances prior scholarship by applying network analysis to the grit literature, containing theoretical and practical significance. This research can contribute to the theoretical foundations of grit by offering a novel perspective and visualized understanding of the structure and dynamics of this complex trait. The network analysis performed helps researchers explore the interconnectedness of grit with various factors, shedding light on the broader psychological landscape and potential causal relationships with salient developmental outcomes. Knowing the network structure of grit and its relationships with other outcomes can also guide educators and mental health professionals in tailoring interventions and support to promote grit and associated adaptive functions in adolescence.

Authors

• Xiaoyu Lan, University of Oslo

• Chunhua Ma, Northwest Minzu University

• Ziwen Teuber, University of Luxembourg