Grit and Openness: A Review of a Conceptual Tension

The Problem of Grit and Openness

Achievement psychology has heavily emphasized grit, defined as the sustained passion and perseverance for long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). This construct holds intuitive appeal; it lionizes stamina and focus. Conversely, the Big Five trait model posits Openness to Experience as a fundamental dimension of personality, characterized by intellectual curiosity, aesthetic sensitivity, and a preference for novelty (McCrae & Costa, 1997). A conceptual friction emerges immediately. Grit implies a narrowing of focus, a deliberate resistance to distraction. Openness implies a broadening of focus, an active search for new stimuli. These two traits, both valued, appear to pull in opposite directions. The central research question, therefore, is how these two constructs interact, or if they are, in some ways, mutually exclusive. Answering this is important because educational and organizational systems simultaneously demand innovation (Openness) and long-term productivity (Grit).

Deconstructing Grit: Findings and Disagreements

Initial research presented grit as a potent predictor of success, often superior to traditional metrics like intelligence. Duckworth et al. (2007) provided foundational evidence linking grit to achievements such as graduation from West Point. However, subsequent scholarship has challenged this narrative. A major meta-analysis by Credé, Tynan, and Harms (2017) offered a significant correction. Their findings indicated that the ‘perseverance’ facet of grit strongly predicts performance, but the ‘passion’ facet is a weak and inconsistent predictor. In essence, grit’s predictive power seems to derive almost entirely from perseverance, a construct highly similar to conscientiousness. This distinction is vital. If grit is merely perseverance, its relationship with openness might be neutral or nonexistent. If grit requires both perseverance and a stable, long-term passion, its relationship with openness becomes far more problematic.

The findings in the literature are, thus, not uniform. Some studies reinforce the simple grit-success link in specific domains. Other, more critical work (Credé et al., 2017) demands a re-evaluation of the construct itself. This fragmentation reveals a core theme: the field is moving from a monolithic view of grit to a component-based one. Scholars now investigate the facets of grit separately. This shift is essential for understanding its overlap with other traits. The popular conception of grit outpaced the scientific validation, creating a gap between public understanding and empirical reality. What remains meaningful is that perseverance matters, whereas the nature of “passion” remains elusive and poorly differentiated from simple interest.

A Theoretical Anchor: The Two-Factor Model and Openness

A theory to support this research must account for the separation of passion and perseverance. Kaufman (2020) proposed a two-factor model of goal pursuit that provides a useful framework. This model distinguishes between the initiation of a passion and the maintenance of effort. Openness to Experience is a plausible driver for the first factor. A person high in openness may explore diverse fields, increasing the probability of finding a deep, intrinsic interest, which becomes the “passion” Duckworth describes. Ivcevic and Brackett (2021) support this, finding that creative pursuits and openness are linked to the development of passionate interests. In this view, openness is not an antagonist to grit but its necessary antecedent; it fuels the exploratory phase required to select a goal worthy of perseverance.

The relevance of this theoretical model lies in its ability to resolve the paradox. Openness facilitates the discovery of the long-term goal. The perseverance facet, more closely aligned with conscientiousness, then facilitates the execution. Recent international research aligns with this nuanced perspective. A study of Belgian university students found that openness moderated the link between perseverance and academic adjustment, particularly when students faced ambiguity (Smedt & Vrolix, 2023). Students high in openness, in other words, used their perseverance more flexibly. Similarly, Zhang and Li (2022) studied entrepreneurial grit in a non-Western context. They found that openness was positively related to career adaptability, which in turn was mediated by a form of grit suitable for the volatile entrepreneurial environment. This evidence suggests openness does not just find the passion; it may also modify the expression of perseverance, making it less rigid.

The Gap and A Testable Hypothesis

The existing literature has successfully decoupled grit’s components (Credé et al., 2017; Kaufman, 2020). It also provides evidence that openness relates positively to passion-finding (Ivcevic & Brackett, 2021) and adaptively to perseverance under specific conditions (Smedt & Vrolix, 2023; Zhang & Li, 2022). The remaining gap, however, is the direct, empirical test of openness as a moderator on the outcomes of perseverance. We do not know if high openness makes perseverance less effective for linear, pre-defined goals (like completing a specific degree program) because the individual is distracted by new, competing interests. Conversely, we do not know if that same combination (high openness, high perseverance) is uniquely more effective for complex, ill-defined goals (like conducting novel research) where flexibility is paramount.

This gap leads to a specific and measurable research hypothesis. The study will test the following: Hypothesis: Openness to Experience will moderate the relationship between the perseverance facet of grit and long-term goal achievement. Specifically, for individuals with high perseverance, higher levels of openness will predict lower rates of achievement on simple, linear goals but higher rates of achievement on complex, ambiguous goals. This hypothesis treats openness not as a simple correlate, but as a critical contextual variable that dictates how perseverance functions and determines its ultimate success or failure. It reframes the original paradox as a functional interaction.

Reflections on FirstPass

Using the FirstPass tool provided feedback primarily on grammatical structure and adherence to APA formatting conventions. The tool identified several instances of passive voice, which were subsequently revised to active voice to improve clarity, per the assignment instructions. It also flagged inconsistencies in citation formatting, for instance, ensuring ‘et al.’ was used correctly after the first citation for sources with three or more authors. In response to this feedback, I corrected these specific grammatical and citation errors. The tool was less helpful for conceptual feedback, such as the strength of the thesis or the logical flow of the synthesis, but it served its purpose as a reliable proofreader for technical writing rules.

References

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.

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.

Ivcevic, Z., & Brackett, M. A. (2021). The creative side of grit: Openness and the development of passion. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 15(3), 445–455.

Kaufman, S. B. (2020). Beyond grit: The evidence for a two-factor model of goal pursuit. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(4), 398-404.

McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (1997). Personality trait structure as a human universal. American Psychologist, 52(5), 509–516.

Smedt, J. D., & Vrolix, E. (2023). Grit in the face of ambiguity: How openness modulates perseverance in Belgian university students. European Journal of Personality, 37(2), 205-220.

Zhang, J., & Li, Y. (2022). Openness to experience and career adaptability: The mediating role of entrepreneurial grit. Journal of Career Development, 49(1), 120-134.

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References

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.

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101.

Ivcevic, Z., & Brackett, M. A. (2021). The creative side of grit: Openness and the development of passion. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 15(3), 445–455.

Kaufman, S. B. (2020). Beyond grit: The evidence for a two-factor model of goal pursuit. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(4), 398-404.

Smedt, J. D., & Vrolix, E. (2023). Grit in the face of ambiguity: How openness modulates perseverance in Belgian university students. European Journal of Personality, 37(2), 205-220.

Overview

Throughout this course, you will work on a research project related to the topic of grit and openness (one of the Big 5 personality traits). You will have a research question, but before you conduct research (later in the course, the research data will be provided for you to analyze), you need to develop a problem statement, identify the gap in the literature that leads to this research, and provide supporting literature on this topic through a literature review, which will be the first part of your project.

Your literature review provides an overview of existing scholarly literature on the research topic. It helps the reader understand the current state of knowledge on the topic, and the gaps, or what is not yet known or addressed in research. It provides context on why this research topic is important.

Note: This literature review is a part of the final research report assignment.

Note: FirstPass, an AI-powered feedback tool, is available to use as you draft this assignment. The FirstPass tool for this assignment is available in the Weekly To Do List and includes directions on how to upload your draft to receive real-time feedback before you submit for a grade.

Preparation

Review the following document for tips and also an overview of how this course’s assignments fit together:

• Overview of the Research Project and Report [PDF].

Instructions

For this assignment, write a 3–5 page literature review, incorporating at least seven peer-reviewed journal articles as sources. At least two articles should be from the last 3–5 years, and at least one article should be a study from an international source (a journal published outside the United States or written by authors from outside the United States) or one that includes non-Western participants. You may use the articles in the Research ProjectLinks to an external site. reading list. For this assignment, you may benefit from analyzing one or more of your articles using the Literature Review Matrix [DOCX].

Write Your Literature Review

Use the Literature Review Template [DOCX] for instructions on what to include. Ensure that each main point of your paper is supported clearly with evidence from your sources. Under some points, there are guiding questions to guide your thinking, but be sure to consult the Literature Review rubric to make sure you cover all that will be assessed.

Once you complete your work in this required template and submit it through FirstPass, FirstPass will help you correct writing errors. Include a few sentences at the end of your literature review document on what you learned from using FirstPass. Then submit your literature review paper for grading.

In the template, address the following points:

• Explain the key research question and why it’s important. A distinguished review would also define key psychological concepts and ideas.
• Explain key findings and evidence from among articles. A distinguished review would explain how the key findings and evidence are similar and different.
• Synthesize the major themes among at least five articles into a summary. In a distinguished review, this would include a summary of what is known and most meaningful about the topic.
• Describe the theory that will support your research plan, and for a distinguished review, how the selected theory is relevant to the research problem.
• State a gap in the literature that your study can fill. A distinguished review would use relevant peer-reviewed scholarly articles.
• Clearly state the hypothesis of your research. For a distinguished review, the hypothesis would be both specific and measurable.
• Describe what you learned about the draft of your assignment from using First Pass. A distinguished review would also describe the changes made in response.
• Include an APA style reference for all sources cited.

Additional Requirements

Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:

• Length: 3–5 typed, double-spaced pages.
• Written communication: Must be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Resources and citations: A minimum of five peer-reviewed journal articles are required. Refer to Academic WriterLinks to an external site. for guidance in using proper APA style. See the Writing CenterLinks to an external site. for APA resources specific to your degree level.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and rubric criteria:

• Competency 1: Differentiate between types of psychological research methods.
  • Explain key findings and evidence from among articles.
  • Synthesize the major themes among at least five articles.
• Competency 2: Design research that controls for variations in behavior related to individual differences.
  • Explain a key research question and why it’s important.
  • Describe the theory that will support your research plan.
  • State a gap in the literature that your study can fill.
  • Clearly state the hypothesis for your research.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
  • Describe what was learned from using FirstPass.
  • Use APA style formatting for citations and reference list with only minor errors. Support references with proper in-text citations and vice versa.
  • Use APA style paper formatting with only minor errors.
  • Address assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.

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