Grit
- “is grit real”
- “does grit predict success”
- “grit vs conscientiousness”
- “angela duckworth grit criticism”
:: COMPARE ::
GritvsConscientiousness
The short answer
Empirically near-identical at ρ = .84. The useful half of grit is the perseverance side of a personality trait psychology has measured for decades. The branding is the novel part.
Side by side
| Aspect | Grit | Conscientiousness |
|---|---|---|
| Correlation | ρ = .84 with each other | ρ = .84 |
| Age of construct | 2007 | Decades |
| Predicts performance | ρ = .18 academic | Comparable |
| Adds anything new | Perseverance half only | — |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Grit rather than Conscientiousness are usually searching for phrases like “is grit real”, “does grit predict success”, “grit vs conscientiousness”.
Where the confusion comes from
“Grit predicts success better than talent or IQ.”
The 2017 meta-analysis found grit only moderately related to performance — academic performance at ρ = .18 — and found grit explained NO incremental variance in overall academic performance or high-school GPA once conscientiousness was controlled for. The authors concluded that 'interventions designed to enhance grit may only have weak effects on performance and success'.
Read either one in full