Examining the domain specificity of grit

Researchers have questioned whether grit should be conceptualized and measured as a global- (i.e., domain-general) or domain-specific construct. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is value in conceptualizing and measuring grit as a domain-specific construct. 251 intercollegiate student-athletes completed three versions of the Grit Scale (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007) to measure grit in the context of sport, school/academe, and life in general. Results of a repeated-measures MANOVA revealed that grit levels varied as a function of situational context. Participants reported significantly higher grit in sport than in school and life in general. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the school-specific measure of grit accounted for significant amounts of incremental variance in respondents' grade point average beyond the variance explained by the global measure of grit. Results indicate that there is merit to conceptualizing and measuring grit as a domain-specific construct in different achievement domains. •Exploratory factor analyses indicated that grit is a multidimensional construct.•Student athletes reported higher levels of grit in sport than school.•Student athletes reported higher levels of grit in sport than ‘life in general.’•Grade Point Average (GPA) was best predicted by a domain-specific measure of grit.