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Poster #217 - What fosters grit? Examining roles of parental grit, parenting and childhood behavior

Fri, March 22, 9:45 to 11:00am, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Introduction

Grit, pertaining to perseverance and passion of long-term goals, has been defined as an individual difference that predicts positive outcomes in educational and professional attainment (Duckworth et al., 2007; Eskreis-Winkler et al., 2014). Most studies have focused on adult samples, however the association between grit and better academic performance has also been demonstrated in youth (Duckworth et al., 2011). Yet, little is known as to which factors may predict greater grit in individuals.

The role of parental influences, especially mothers, on child development and specifically on academic performance has been well documented (Steinberg et al., 1992; Davis-Kean, 2005). To our knowledge, no study has examined the role of parental factors such as parenting practices, parental grit, and parental educational attainment on children’s grit.

Childhood behavior, more specifically externalizing and internalizing behavior difficulties, is also an important predictor of later achievements (Masten & al., 2005), but has not yet been examined in relation to grit.

The aim of this study was to examine longitudinal associations between childhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors, parental factors with adolescents’ self-reported grit.

Methodology

Data were available for 168 children (84 boys) who were interviewed in 2011 at 7-8 years old and completed an online questionnaire in 2017 at 13-14 years old. Their mothers also completed questionnaires both in 2011 and in 2017.

At 7-8 year, the Berkeley Puppet Interview (Measelle & Ablow, 1993) was administered to children to assess self-reported internalizing (depression and anxiety subscale) and externalizing (oppositional defiance subscale) behaviors. This is a semi-structured interview of 20 minutes. Participants were filmed and interviews were coded afterwards.
Mothers also completed items assessing parenting practices, more specifically effective and coercive parenting.

At 13-14 year, the Grit Scale (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) was administered in an online questionnaire to assess adolescents’ grit. Mothers also completed this measure.

Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine longitudinal associations between coercive and effective parenting, maternal education, childhood self-reported internalizing and externalizing behaviors and later adolescents’ grit. Analyses were adjusted for age and moderation by sex was tested.

Results

At 7-8 years, boys reported higher oppositional defiance scores than girls (p=.067). Mothers’ education level as well as effective and coercive parenting when their child was 7-8 years old were not significantly associated with grit scores at 13-14 years old (p>.05). Higher mothers’ grit scores tended to predict higher adolescents’ grit scores (β=.131, p<.10). Higher externalizing scores at 7-8 years were associated with lower grit scores at 13-14 years (β=-.280, p<.01). Similarly, there was a trend for higher internalizing difficulties of depression and anxiety to be associated with lower grit scores (β=-.145, p<.10). Associations were not moderated by sex.

Conclusion

Results indicate that children’s externalizing, and to a lesser extent, internalizing behaviors are associated with later grit. Surprisingly, parental factors such as mothers' reported parenting practices and education did not predict adolescent grit. Although, mothers' grit tended to be associated with their adolescent's grit score. A better understanding of factors that can predict grit could be helpful in fostering optimal child development.

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