Sport Participation and the Development of Grit
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Date
2021-04
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Abstract
Introduction
Grit is the combination of perseverance and passion that helps people to successfully overcome challenges both in the contexts of sports and in everyday life (Duckworth, 2016; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009; Duckworth et al., 2007; Erdal, 2018). Participating in sport may lead to the formation of grit as sports participation presents challenges that can offer the opportunity for athletes to learn how to problem solve, develop stronger work ethics, and persevere.
Methods
The data for this study was taken from the National Sports and Society Survey (NSASS), a landmark Ohio State University-sponsored survey that provides an abundance of information about sports and society topics from a large national sample of adults (N = 3,993). The primary dependent variable for this study is a measure of adults' grit. This variable was formed from responses to questions in the NSASS survey that were adapted from the Duckworth Grit Scale (Duckworth, 2016; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009; Duckworth et al., 2007). The secondary dependent variable for this study is the perceived effect that athletic experiences had on the respondents' work ethics while they were growing up. This variable serves as a proxy for measuring the level of grit in childhood. The primary independent variables for this study consist of measures of sports participation in childhood and over the past year.
Results
Two series of nested regression models are used to analyze the relationships between sports participation and grit. The first series focuses on the relationships between sports participation and work ethic, as a proxy for grit, in childhood. The second series analyzes the relationships between sports participation levels, during childhood and over the past year, and adults' grit. Findings indicate that sports participation in childhood as well as adulthood predict higher levels of adults' grit. These findings persist even after accounting for childhood work ethics.
Conclusions
Sports participation while growing up, as well as in adulthood, appears to encourage the development of grit. Grit does not appear to be a static quality that people simply possess and maintain; rather, grit can be built and developed over the life course—including through sports participation.
Description
General and Social Psychology: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)
Keywords
Grit, Sport Participation, Life Course, Development, Sport