Grit and Goal Orientation: A Cross-Cultural Investigation

While the relationship between grit and goal orientation has been examined among adolescents, research incorporating cultural considerations remains scarce. Cultural norms not only shape how one conceptualizes grit and perseverance, but can also influence their motivation and reasonings for pursuing goals. As such, the functional significance of grit on goal orientations may also differ across cultures. The current study first aims to investigate mean level differences in the dimensions of grit, specifically perseverance of effort and consistency of interest, and the levels of three types of goal orientations, namely learning goal, approach performance goal, and avoidance performance goal between U.S. and Japanese adolescents. Second, we plan to examine how grit (i.e., perseverance of effort, consistency of interest), predicts the three types of goal orientations six months later, while controlling for prior levels of the respective goal orientation, gender, and grade level. Lastly, we seek to examine whether the associations between the grit facets and each type of goal orientation significantly differ between U.S. and Japanese adolescents. Ultimately, we hope to further understand how cultural norms and expectations contribute to variations in the association between grit and goal orientations across different cultural contexts.