Instruments

The Duckworth Lab focuses on two traits that predict achievement: grit and self-control. Grit is the tendency to sustain interest in and effort toward very long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). Self-control is the voluntary regulation of behavioral, emotional, and attentional impulses in the presence of momentarily gratifying temptations or diversions (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005; Duckworth & Steinberg, manuscript submitted for publication). On average, individuals who are gritty are more self-controlled, but the correlation between these two traits is not perfect: Some individuals are paragons of grit but not self-control, and some exceptionally well-regulated individuals are not especially gritty (Duckworth & Gross, 2014). The Grit Scale is a set of measures designed to measure trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals. The Grit Scale comes in a 12-item form and an 8-item form (the Short Grit Scale, or Grit-S), and the 8-item form has been modified for use with children as well. The Grit Scale has also been translated into Chinese and French. All items are measured on a 5-point Likert scale.

The linked site provides access to the various versions of the Grit Scale as well as its documentation. Researchers and educators are welcome to scales for non-commercial purposes. On a cautionary note, these scales were originally designed to assess individual differences rather than subtle within-individual changes in behavior over time. Thus, it is uncertain whether they are valid indicators of pre- to post-change as a consequence of interventions. Use of the scales is encouraged in high stakes settings where faking is a concern (e.g., admissions or hiring decisions). These scales are copyrighted and cannot be published or used for commercial purposes or wide public distribution. Journalists and book authors should therefore not reproduce our scales nor any part of them.

Authors provide instrument validity and/or reliability information.