Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Grit and conscientiousness

Grit and conscientiousness:
What are the similarities and differences between grit and conscientiousness and what are the implications?

Multimedia presentation (3 min)

Overview

Scenario Rachel, a third-year law student, faces immense pressure as she balances her studies, full-time work and a busy personal life. Rachel has also recently moved out of home and maintains a clean and tidy home. On top of full-time study, work and domestic duties, Rachel plays netball once a week. Despite Rachel's overwhelming workload, she consistently performs well, driven by her passion and desire to be a lawyer.

This scenario illustrates the importance of grit and conscientiousness - two personality traits that can significantly impact success in long-term goals and high-pressure environments. Grit, is the perseverance and passion for achieving long-term goals, allowing individuals to push through challenges (Duckworth et al., 2007). Conscientiousness, on the other hand, describes the degree of organisation, responsibility and discipline necessary to help individuals to consistently achieve their goals (Eisenberg et al., 2014). In Rachel's case, these traits allow her to stay focused, organised and motivated, even in the face of her demanding lifestyle.

Psychological science can assist in understanding how traits like grit and conscientiousness influence success and well-being. By exploring these traits, we can better understand how people like Rachel manage high workloads while maintaining their commitment to personal and professional growth.

Focus Questions How is grit and conscientiousness reflected in Rachel's life? What are the key similarities and differences between grit and conscientiousness in this context? How do psychological theories explain the relationship between grit and conscientiousness? What are the implications of these traits for Rachel's future professional success? How can understanding these traits help others in similar situations?

Defining grit and conscientiousness

Grit and conscientiousness are personality traits that work together to help a person achieve success. Grit is described as a mechanism for passion and perseverance in achieving long-term and meaningful goals (Baruch-Feldman, 2017). It is the ability to persist in an activity or challenge and persevere when obstacles arise. Grit is about having direction and commitment to your goals and achieving them through hard work and dedication.

This definition was developed by Angela Duckworth (2013) and is best outlined in her TED talk. Duckworth explains that girt is having stamina and sticking with your future goals for years and working hard to make your goals a reality. Grit is often explained as living life like running a marathon, rather than a sprint. This is because grit is built upon following through with commitments which in turn, build perseverance and resilience to obstacles.

Conscientiousness is a personality trait originally formed from the Big Five Factor Model of Personality by McCrae and Costa (1992). It is a personality trait characterised by organisation, responsibly and self-discipline (Roberts at al., 2014). Conscientious individuals demonstrate a strong work ethic and are reliable.

Characteristics of grit

Grit is characterised by an individual’s perseverance and passion for long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). It involves maintaining sustained effort and interest over time, even in the face of setbacks and difficulties. So far, psychological research has attributed grit to individuals with a growth mindset. Growth mindset is a concept introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck (2014), which emphasises the belief that abilities and intelligence can develop over time through hard work and learning. This mindset reinforces the idea that failure is not a permanent condition but rather a stepping stone towards improvement and success.

Duckworth’s research (2007) on grit highlights its importance in achieving success, especially in challenging situations. Grit manifests in the continuous effort individuals put into their work, regardless of immediate rewards or difficulties. According to Duckworth, grit often outweighs talent and intelligence as a predictor of success because it represents the drive to persist when roadblocks arise. Whether in academic, professional, or personal contexts, grit ensures that individuals stay committed to their goals, working diligently and passionately to overcome obstacles on their journey to long-term achievement.

Characteristics of conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is a trait characterised by organisation, responsibility, accountability and dependability (Roberts et al., 2014). It is a core trait within the Five-Factor model of personality which includes openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (O’Connor & Paunonen, 2007). People who score high in conscientiousness tend to be self-disciplined, careful, and diligent, leading highly conscientious people to make planned decisions and follow through with goals. Conscientious individuals rarely make impulsive or careless decisions, their decision-making style is characterised as rational and dependent. They often excel in goal-setting because they can manage time effectively by structuring their tasks and avoiding procrastination.

Conscientious traits translate into daily behaviours, making highly contentious individuals reliable in personal and professional settings. Variation in contentiousness between individuals can be attributed to environmental factors and genetic predispositions such as childhood upbringings, education, life experiences or age (Jackson et al., 2010). Individuals raised in structured and supportive home environments may develop stronger conscientious traits than those exposed to chaotic or emotionally unstable settings.

From what is known about Rachel, it is likely she was raised in a structured and supportive environment and had strong role models with strong work ethics.

Comparing grit and conscientiousness

Grit and conscientiousness both contribute to long-term success by promoting goal-oriented behaviours. They each, however, operate through slightly different mechanisms. Grit is the passion and perseverance to pursue long-term goals, particularly in the face of adversity or challenges. Grit requires a deep commitment to completing tasks or obligations, regardless of difficulties. Grit is the ability to keep going and persevering (Breytenbach, 2018). Conscientiousness describes the consistency required to fulfil tasks and meet obligations with reliability through diligence, organisation and responsibility (Eisenberg et al., 2014). While grit emphasises overcoming challenges and maintaining enthusiasm over time to complete goals, conscientiousness is required to fulfil obligations with quality. Together, grit and conscientiousness creates a powerful combination of sustained achievement in personal and professional capacities.

Similarities between grit and conscientiousness

Grit and conscientiousness share several similarities, particularly their strong links to self-discipline and long-term success. Each trait requires a blend of passion and perseverance to achieve goals, whether though the sustained effort grit demands or the meticulous organisation and responsibility that conscientiousness promotes (Ponnock et al., 2020). Each trait is similar in nature as they require resilience and courage. Grit enables individuals to push through adversity, while conscientiousness ensures consistent progress through careful planning and commitment to quality.

Empirical studies examining the relationship between grit and conscientiousness suggest a high degree of overlap between the traits. For example, Crede and colleagues (2018) reported a strong correlation (r = .842) between the two traits across multiple studies, indicating that the distinction between grit and conscientiousness may not be as simple as initially thought. Schmidt and colleagues (2018) found that the perseverance of effort component of grit strongly overlapped with sub-facets of conscientiousness, particularly in young adults. Their research suggests that the perseverance aspect of grit is not easily separable from the core elements of conscientiousness, such as diligence and dependability. With this, the high correlations and overlapping predictive validity suggest that they share significant similarities in the context of long-term goal achievement.

Both traits also share a component of self-regulation which manifests as the ability to stay motivated. Grit enables individuals to stay focused on their broader vision even when motivation wears off, while conscientiousness ensures steady, responsible progress through careful planning and attention to detail.

Differences between grit and conscientiousness

While grit and conscientiousness are closely related, they operate through distinct mechanisms with different emphases. Grit is fundamentally about passion and perseverance over the long term, which ultimately reflects in an individual’s ability to persist in the face of obstacles and challenges to achieve distant future goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). By contrast, conscientiousness is based on reliability and the meticulous execution of tasks in day-to-day life (Schmidt et al., 2018). Conscientiousness is more related to ensuring consistent and reliable performance over time while grit helps overcome significant challenges through perseverance.

Instances where one trait may be more influential than the other arise depending on the environmental and situational factors surrounding an individual. Scenarios requiring resilience and endurance, such as completing a demanding, multi-year academic degree, grit may play a more prominent role. Contrastingly, conscientiousness is more crucial when ensuring the steady achievement of routine tasks or maintaining a disciplined approach in environments that value organisation or dependability such as workplaces (Schmidt et al., 2018). Both traits are essential for long-term success, yet their influence can vary depending on the specific challenges involved.

The interplay of grit and conscientiousness

Understanding the differences between grit and conscientiousness is essential to developing personal growth strategies. Although both grit and conscientiousness contribute to success, their distinct qualities can guide specific approaches by combining their strengths to facilitate long-term, successful outcomes. Grit, with its focus on passion and perseverance, is key in setting and maintaining long-term goals, especially when faced with setbacks. On the other hand, conscientiousness derives consistent, organised action towards daily tasks and responsibilities, ensuring reliability and precision. Together, these traits complement each other as grit helps individuals stay motivated over time, while conscientiousness ensures individuals stay on track and obligations are met (Khodaverdian Dehkordi et al., 2021).

When one trait becomes overly dominant, however, disadvantages such as burnout may arise. This is because too much grit without conscientiousness may lead individuals to push themselves too hard without the proper organisation required to fulfil tasks successfully or up to standard. Conversely, when conscientiousness becomes too concentrated without grit, there is potential for individuals to excel in short-term tasks, but fizzle when perseverance is required through long-term challenges. Because of this, balancing both traits is critical for resilience and achieving long-term goals. Although it is possible to possess grit without conscientiousness or vice versa, the combination of both traits creates a holistic path to successes.

Psychological theories and research

Theoretical perspectives on grit

Several psychological theories can help explain the concept of grit. Here, theoretical perspectives on grit emphasise its role in sustaining perseverance and passion. Research has shown that while intelligence plays a role in academic success, grit is a stronger predictor of long-term achievement (Duckworth et al., 2007). The first psychological theory which can help explain grit is growth mindset theory by Carol Dweck and Yeager (2019). Here, they argue that growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed though dedication and hard work. It is believed that individuals are not inherently good at persevering, but rather it is a learnt skill. This perspective underpins the idea that gritty individuals with a growth mindset tend to view failure as a temporary setback and maintain effort towards long-term goals.

Another psychological theory that may explain grit is self-regulation theory. Self-regulatory theory is the idea that an individual may guide their emotion’s, behaviours, and thoughts to achieve long-term goals (Heatherton, 2011). Self-regulation theory can be attributed to grit as gritty individuals display superior self-regulation abilities, enabling them to persist through difficulties and resist short-term distractions in favour of long-term success. Duckworth (2007) aligns grit with the ability to maintain focus and effort despite obstacles, which is a core element of self-regulation.

Figure 2. The Five Factor Model.

Lastly, positive psychology and motivational theories emphasise resilience, which is the ability to recover from difficulties and adapt to adversity. Grit aligns with resilience by enabling individuals to stay focused and persevere. Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) highlights the role of resilience and intrinsic motivation in achieving long-term goals. This is because grit is closely related to intrinsic motivation where people who are passionate about their goals tend to find intrinsic rewards in working towards them, leading to a sustained effort to keep pursuing these goals. Self-determination theory explains that girt develops when individuals have a sense of relatedness in pursuing their goals, which is closely aligned with resilience as it enables individuals to stay focused and persevere when faced with challenges as there is an intrinsic motivation to be resilient and keep going.

Theoretical perspectives on conscientiousness

Psychological perspectives on conscientiousness are cemented in the Five Factor Model of personality, which identifies conscientiousness as one of five core personality traits (see Figure 2). This model emphasises structure, reliability and self-discipline as key traits of conscientiousness (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Within this framework, conscientiousness is described as the trait responsible for goal-directed behaviours. These include characteristics such as organisation, receptibility and attention to detail. Cognitive-behavioural theories may explain the facilitation of conscientiousness as Magidson et al (2014) notes that where consistent behaviours are shaped by positive reinforcement, such as completing a task before a due date, leaving room for editing leads which leads to higher marks. This causes positive reinforcement to become ingrained through repetition. Highly conscientious individuals continue to be conscientious because their sustained efforts pay off in positive ways. This perspective explains how conscientiousness influences habitual actions and achievement though consistent behavioural patterns.

Quiz

1 Grit is a trait characterised by organisation, responsibility, accountability and dependability True False 2 Grit ensures that individuals stay committed to their goals, working diligently and passionately to overcome obstacles on their journey to long-term achievement. True False

Implications of grit and conscientiousness on personal and professional development

Grit in goal achievement

Grit facilitates goal achievement by fostering sustained effort and passion, even when obstacles arise. Duckworth’s (2007) research and concept of grit emphasises perseverance over extended periods, allowing persistence through challenges that would otherwise derail progress. In educational or academic settings, girt is a key predictor of success as students who demonstrate grit tend to maintain focus and dedication despite setbacks such as poor results or difficult coursework (Lee & Park, 2024). For instance, Rachel, who may be preparing for final exams may encounter hurdles such as fatigue or competing priorities, but grit enables her to persist through these challenges and remain committed to her studies.

In personal development, grit facilitates commitment for goals that require long-term perseverance such as training for a marathon. This is because personal endeavours, such as training for a marathon, involve repetitive practice and slow progress. With this, individuals who display high levels of grit are more likely to continue working towards these long-term objectives despite temporary failures or slow progress. By cultivating grit, people can develop the resilience needed to navigate setbacks and maintain their innate drive to complete long-term goals, both in academic and personal settings.

Conscientiousness in workplace success

Conscientiousness plays a critical role in workplace success, especially in professions which demand reliability, attention to detail and a high level of responsibility such as healthcare workers or professional services such as those in finance or legal roles (Roberts et al., 2014). Individuals high in conscientiousness are organised, diligent and dependable which in turn, enhances job performance in roles demanding planning and accuracy (Bogg & Roberts, 2013). To foster conscientiousness, strategies to facilitate effective time management such as prioritising tasks or setting deadlines are essential. Maintaining clean workspaces and cultivating a culture of accountability further reinforces conscientious behaviours. Ultimately, time management and organisation are key components of conscientiousness which, in turn, enables employees to break down large tasks and meet deadlines.

Practical implications and strategies

Balancing and developing both grit and conscientiousness is key for personal and professional growth. Grit can be cultivated by setting long-term, meaningful goals and building resilience though embracing challenges and setbacks as learning opportunities (Dweck & Yeager, 2019). Conscientiousness, however, can be enhanced by improving time management skills, setting structured routines and focusing on task completion with accuracy and consistency. Together, these traits work to prevent burnout by creating space for individuals to remain focused on their goals (grit) while managing their workload efficiently (conscientiousness). To integrate both traits into goal setting strategies, long-term goals should be broken down into digestible steps to facilitate passion and commitment to a task. This promotes sustained success as grit is fuelled by persistence, and conscientiousness ensures that tasks are completed accurately, helping those to stay productive and evade burnout.

Conclusion

This chapter explored grit and conscientiousness through the examination of their definitions, characteristics, and implications for long-term successes, particularly in high-pressure environments. This chapter highlighted key psychological theories such as Duckworth's research of grit and the Five Factor Model of personality, which explain how these traits work together to achieve long-term, sustained success.

Rachel's case illustrates how grit and conscientiousness combined drives long-term success and resilience in demanding environments. Grit, as defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals (Duckwork, et al., 2007), helps people stay focused despite obstacles, while conscientiousness, characterised by organisation, responsibility and self-discipline, cultivate an environment of consistent, quality work (Eisenberg et al., 2014). Together, these traits enable Rachel to navigate her busy life with commitment and focus.

Psychological theories highlight how these traits work in tandem to foster success. While grit provides the perseverance necessary to overcome setbacks, conscientiousness ensures steady progress through structure and discipline. This offers a powerful approach to achieving personal and professional goals. For readers, reflecting on these traits in their own lives can provide insights into their strengths and areas for growth. Whether pursuing academic, career or personal goals, balancing grit and conscientiousness can enhance persistence and reliability, ultimately leading to sustained success. Future research might explore how these traits develop over a lifespan or the way in which they interact with other personality traits which may be conflicting to grit and conscientiousness to shape outcomes. Overall, understanding and cultivating both grit and conscientiousness is critical to thriving in high-pressure environments and achieving ling-term success.

See also

• Conscientiousness and motivation (Book chapter, 2020)
• Conscientiousness (Wikipedia, 2024)
• Grit (Book chapter, 2016)
• Grit and achievement (Book chapter, 2023)
• Grit (Wikipedia, 2024)

References

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Bogg, T., & Roberts, B. W. (2013). The Case for Conscientiousness: Evidence and Implications for a Personality Trait Marker of Health and Longevity. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 45(3), 278–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-012-9454-6

Breytenbach, C. (2018, May 15). Why grit is essential for transforming your life and career and how you can develop it. The LEAP Journey. https://leapjourney.org/2018/05/15/why-grit-is-essential-for-transforming-your-life-and-career/

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

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Dweck, C. S., & Yeager, D. S. (2019). Mindsets: A View From Two Eras. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(3), 481–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618804166

Eisenberg, N., Duckworth, A. L., Spinrad, T. L., & Valiente, C. (2014). Conscientiousness: Origins in Childhood? Developmental Psychology, 50(5), 1331–1349. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030977

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Khodaverdian Dehkordi, M., Jabbari, A. A., & Mazdayasna, G. (2021). Examining the Association of Grit Profiles With Big Five Personality and Achievement Among Iranian Foreign Language Learners. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.801844

Lee, J., & Park, J. (2024). The role of grit in inclusive education: a study of motivation and achievement among preservice physical education teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1332464

Magidson, J. F., Roberts, B. W., Collado-Rodriguez, A., & Lejuez, C. W. (2014). Theory-driven intervention for changing personality: Expectancy value theory, behavioral activation, and conscientiousness. Developmental Psychology, 50(5), 1442–1450. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030583

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O’Connor, M. C., & Paunonen, S. V. (2007). Big Five personality predictors of post-secondary academic performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(5), 971–990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.03.017

Ponnock, A., Muenks, K., Morell, M., Yang, J. S., Gladstone, J. R., & Wigfield, A. (2020). Grit and conscientiousness: Another jangle fallacy. Journal of Research in Personality, 89, 104021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104021

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Schmidt, F. T., Nagy, G., Fleckenstein, J., Möller, J., & Retelsdorf, J. (2018). Same Same, but Different? Relations between Facets of Conscientiousness and Grit. European Journal of Personality, 32(6), 705–720. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2171

External links

• Angela Duckworth's research on grit (Angela Duckworth)
• The science of conscientiousness (Psychology Today)
• Success: got grit? (Psychology Today)