01 · Side by side

Side by side

Comparison sheet
AspectGritConscientiousness
Correlationρ = .84 with each otherρ = .84
Age of construct2007Decades
Predicts performanceρ = .18 academicComparable
Adds anything newPerseverance half only—
02 · Which one you meant

Which one did you mean?

In shortReaders who land here meaning Grit rather than Conscientiousness are usually searching for phrases like “is grit real”, “does grit predict success”, “grit vs conscientiousness”.

Grit

  • “is grit real”
  • “does grit predict success”
  • “grit vs conscientiousness”
  • “angela duckworth grit criticism”
03 · The mix-up

Where the confusion comes from

The mix-up“Grit predicts success better than talent or IQ.”
What's true

The 2017 meta-analysis found grit only moderately related to performance — academic performance at ρ = .18 — and found grit explained NO incremental variance in overall academic performance or high-school GPA once conscientiousness was controlled for. The authors concluded that 'interventions designed to enhance grit may only have weak effects on performance and success'.

04 · Read either one

Read either one in full