The successful life of gritty students: Grit leads to optimal educational and well-being outcomes in a collectivist context

Abstract

Research has shown that grit facilitates positive psychological outcomes. Yet, almost all of these empirical investigations were carried out in Western societies which raise potential issues with regard to the generalizability of these results in collectivist settings. The present research hopes to address the dearth of studies on grit in non-Western cultures through investigating the psychological effects of grit on educational and well-being outcomes among Filipino high school students. Six hundred six Filipino high school students (n = 606) participated in the current research. Results showed interesting cross-cultural differences. First, the two dimensions of grit – consistency of interest and perseverance of effort – were not significantly correlated. Second, path analysis revealed differential prediction associated with the two dimensions of grit. Only perseverance of effort positively predicted behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and flourishing. However, both consistency of interest and perseverance of effort negatively predicted behavioral and emotional disengagement. The implications of the findings to existing theory and practice are discussed.