Grit and Academic Achievement: A Comparative Cross-Cultural Meta-Analysis

This review examined the relations between grit and academic achievement based on a meta-analysis of 137 studies yielding 156 dependent samples (N = 285,331). Using the robust variance estimation, we found that the correlations of overall grit level with academic achievement were generally weak to moderate (weighted r = .19). The correlation of perseverance of effort to achievement (weighted r = .21) was stronger than that of consistency of interest (weighted r = .08). Adopting a cross-cultural perspective in reviewing these findings, we concluded that the associations between overall grit/2 facets and academic achievement did not differ across individualism-collectivism. We also investigated 7 other moderators, including grit measurement, types of achievement measures, publication type, educational levels, research design, study quality, and the female ratio of sampling in the grit-achievement relationship. After controlling for all proposed moderators, no significant moderators were found in the overall grit-achievement link or the consistency of interest-achievement link. There was a significantly stronger association between perseverance of effort and academic achievement in nonstandardized measures than in standardized measures. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Automated summary

This review analyzed 137 studies with 156 dependent samples to explore the relationship between grit and academic achievement. Results showed that the correlations between overall grit level and academic achievement were generally weak to moderate, with perseverance of effort having a stronger correlation with achievement than consistency of interest. Cross-cultural analysis revealed that the associations between overall grit/2 facets and academic achievement did not differ between individualism-collectivism societies. No significant moderators were found in the overall grit-achievement link or consistency of interest-achievement link after controlling for various factors. The study also found a stronger association between perseverance of effort and academic achievement in nonstandardized measures compared to standardized measures.