Grit Scale – Short Form

What it measures

Measures grit — the disposition to pursue long-term goals with sustained passion and perseverance despite setbacks and failures. Distinguishes consistency of interest over time from perseverance through hardship. Associated with academic and occupational achievement independently of intelligence.

Response format

Likert (1–5, not at all like me to very much like me); mean score reported

Representative items

• New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones. (R, Consistency)
• Setbacks don't discourage me. (Perseverance)
• I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest. (R, Consistency)
• I am a hard worker. (Perseverance)
• I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one. (R, Consistency)

Usage notes & scoring

(R)=reverse-scored. Report mean score (1–5). Freely available from Angela Duckworth's Character Lab. Consistency of Interest and Perseverance of Effort subscales can be analysed separately. Grit correlates with conscientiousness but predicts achievement incrementally.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Duckworth, A.L., & Quinn, P.D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166–174.

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