Self-Control and Grit: Related but Separable Determinants of Success

Introduction

• Success is often attributed to talent and opportunity, but people with similar talent and opportunity can achieve different success levels.
• The study explores self-control and grit as key determinants of success beyond talent and opportunity.
• Self-control: Regulating attention, emotion, and behavior amidst temptation.
• Grit: Passionate pursuit of long-term goals despite challenges.

Definitions

• Self-Control: Aligning actions with valued goals despite more alluring alternatives.
• Grit: Perseverance and passion towards a dominant, superordinate goal over years or decades.
• Both self-control and grit are correlated but distinct constructs.

Historical Context

• Historical perspectives include Galton's (1869/2006) concepts of self-denial and zeal.
• Modern theories conceptualize self-control and grit within hierarchical goal frameworks.

Self-Control: Resisting Hourly Temptations

• Essential for everyday success, involving inhibition of strong impulses and activation of weak, desirable impulses.
• Associated with positive life outcomes, e.g., academic achievement, prosocial behavior, employment, and health.
• Psychological basis involves prefrontal brain areas and strategies to manage impulses.

Grit: Sustained Passion and Effort

• Involves pursuing an interest with determination over years.
• Predicts educational attainment and professional success.
• Empirical studies show grit predicts completion of challenging goals despite obstacles.

Hierarchical Goal Framework

• Goals are hierarchically organized; lower-order goals serve higher-order goals.
• Self-control involves resolving conflicts between action tendencies aligned with momentarily alluring versus enduringly valuable goals.
• Grit involves commitment to a superordinate goal, with lower-order goals aligned towards it.

Differences between Self-Control and Grit

• Self-Control: Resolves conflicts between lower-level goals.
• Grit: Maintains allegiance to high-level goals over long periods.

Research Directions

• Self-control and grit are amenable to intervention; potential for cost-effective interventions.
• Future research can explore psychological processes and interventions to enhance self-control and grit.

Conclusion

• Self-control aligns actions with valued goals against momentary temptations.
• Grit entails commitment to enduring goals, overcoming setbacks.
• Hierarchical-goal perspective helps understand success determinants.

Recommended Readings

• Duckworth et al. (2007): Original research on grit.
• Moffitt et al. (2013): Overview of self-control and its consequences.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Nir Halevy and Lauren Eskreis-Winkler for comments.

References

• List of studies and books relevant to self-control and grit.