Emerging Adult College Students' Grit, Belonging and Goals in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic Stress

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Emerging adults seek to satisfy fundamental needs for autonomy, relatedness and competency (Self-Determination Theory; Deci & Ryan, 2000) as they work to attain academic and personal goals. As proxy measures for autonomy and relatedness, the constructs grit (i.e, successful outcomes despite adversity; Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007) and belonging (i.e., the fundamental human need for acceptance and valued contribution; Baumeister & Leary, 1995) independently predict long-term goal pursuits (Datu, 2017; Morrow & Ackermann, 2012; Wilson & Gore, 2013). Yet the relationship between grit and belonging remains unexplored.
Moreover, the pandemic caused by COVID-19 has likely impacted grit and belonging. This study examines relationships between grit, belonging, and goal attainment in the context of the pandemic (H1: Belonging moderates the relationship between grit and goal attainment), with a focus on the ways that pandemic-related stress and perceptions of institutional (university/college) care impact the relationship between these key constructs that affect an emerging adult’s developmental trajectory (H2: Stress influences emerging adult sense of belonging and expectations/doubt regarding goal progress/attainment).
Participants were traditional full-time, undergraduate students age 18-25, recruited from a national sample using Qualtrics, an online survey tool (N=257; 60% women; 47.31 % White, 18.46% Black/African American, 17.31% Asian, 10.77% Hispanic/Latino/a/x).
Measures. Grit was assessed using the Grit-Short Scale (Grit-S; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009; α=0.78), containing two subscales, consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. The Triarchic Measure of Grit Scale (TMGS, Datu, Yuen, & Chen, 2017; α=0.76) was also used and contains an added subscale, adaptability. Belonging in college (Sense of Belonging Scale; Hoffman, Richmond, Morrow, & Salomone, 2002-2003 α=0.92), goal progress/attainment (Goal Attainment Scale, developed by author; α=0.71), students’ perceptions of care/support from their college during the COVID-19 pandemic (Institutional Compassion Scale, developed by author; α=0.72), and stress (Stress Appraisal Measure, Peacock & Wong, 1990; α=0.84) were also assessed. Questions on institutional compassion and stress asked participants to contextualize their responses within the pandemic.
Results. Grit, belonging, and goal attainment were significantly correlated in the expected directions (Table 1; H1). Independently, Grit-S, TMGS and SBS significantly predicted goal attainment (Table 2). However, belonging did not strengthen the relationship between grit and Goal Attainment. The grit subscales had differentiated impact on goal attainment: adaptability and perseverance of effort predicted goal attainment whereas consistency of interest did not. Overall, belonging was a stronger predictor of goal attainment than grit. This is especially notable during a pandemic, when institutional belonging was disrupted: participants with higher COVID-related stress had a lower sense of belonging (t = -3.174, p < .001); and participants with higher grit had lower stress overall (Grit-S t = 5.772, p < .001; TMGS t = 5.287, p < .001). These findings indicate that individuals with stronger associations between grit and goal attainment appeared to be less affected by the pandemic whereas individuals with a weaker sense of belonging as a result of pandemic-related stress exhibited diminished perceptions of progress toward their goals (H2). The role of institutional compassion in mitigating pandemic stress and increase belonging will be further explored.

Authors

• Cynthia Schmahl, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
  Presenting Author

• Jacqueline Nguyen, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
  Non-Presenting Author