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Results
The total sample size was 20 participants, 60% of which were adult females
and 40% of which were adult adult males.
The research hypothesis was that spirituality predicts grit. A linear regression
analysis was conducted to evaluate the prediction of grit given spirituality and was
found to be significant F (1,18) = 5.083, p= .037 as shown in Table 1. The
regression equation for predicting grit is Y’ = .076x + 2.951 as shown in Figure 1.
The correlation between grit and spirituality is 0.469 (Table 1). Approximately 21.99%
of the variance in grit was accounted for by its linear relationship with spirituality
(Table 1).
Table 1
Linear Regression Analysis for Grit and Spirituality
60%
40%
Gender
Female Male
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Figure 1
Spirituality Predicts Grit
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Discussion
The goal of this study was to determine whether spirituality predicts grit.
According to the results, spirituality is a significant predictor of grit. One limitation
of this study was that the participants were chosen from “Friends” on the social
platform Facebook. While necessary in this case, this represents a small population of
those known to the researcher. However, participants were randomly selected ensuring
a more diverse population.
Another possible limitation to this study could be the 12-item Grit Scale that
was used to measure one’s grit (Duckworth et al., 2007). Some traits measured using
this scale are inherent with individuals who have ADHD, possibly implying that those
with ADHD have no grit. It would be interesting to look further into the relationship
between those with ADHD and grit to gain a better understanding of that
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relationship. For example, do individuals who have ADHD and high levels of grit
have high grit due to personality or ADHD treatments?
Lastly, participants seemed concerned after taking the survey whether this
would get the researcher the results they wanted. Some participants may have
adjusted their answers based on what they thought the researcher was hypothesizing
and what they thought the researcher would like to see. Similarly, there may be
concern of a socially desirable response such as saying they are more spiritually
inclined than they really are.
Many may ask, how does one build and improve grit and resilience in
themselves or in other individuals? Clement et al., (2020) discovered that grit was a
major offset to suicidal ideation. This implies that that higher someone’s level of grit
and resilience, the less likely they would be to commit suicide. If spirituality can
significantly predict grit, then one way to build that grit and resilience is to find or
deepen one’s spiritual connection.
Medical and psychological treatment plans could include specific ways in which
an individual’s spirituality or religion supports and is utilized in that plan. Ozawa et
al., (2017) discovered a significant positive relationship between level of resilience and
attendance to spiritual services. This also supports the idea that if spirituality predicts
grit, then one way to build grit and resilience is to discover and incorporate
spirituality and religion into all aspects of life.
Spirituality could also be incorporated into the workday. Singh and Chopra
(2018) found that finding meaning in one’s work and grit predicted high levels of
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work engagement. Perhaps if this was taken a step further, and time for spirituality
was incorporated into the workday, this could mean higher job satisfaction. Even
further, this could mean higher overall life satisfaction. Spirituality in the workplace
could be as simple as quiet spaces to pray or meditate on breaks. Space could also
be provided, or training provided to allow employees to discover different spiritualities
or religions. If spirituality can significantly predict grit, then people might be more
satisfied with their jobs and stay in those jobs longer. Using spirituality as a
significant predictor of grit, one way to build grit and resilience is to help others
discover and utilize their spirituality or religion in their everyday lives.
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References
Clement, D. N., Wingate, L. R., Cole, A. B., O'Keefe, V. M., Hollingsworth, D. W.,
Davidson, C. L., & Hirsch, J. K. (2020). The Common Factors of Grit, Hope,
and Optimism Differentially Influence Suicide Resilience. International journal
of environmental research and public health, 17(24), 9588.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249588
Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D. (2007). Grit:
Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Hodge, D.R. (2003). The Intrinsic Spirituality Scale: A new six-item instrument for
assessing the salience of spirituality as a motivational construct. Journal of
Social Service Research 30(1), 41-61. https://doi.org/10.1300/J079v30n01_03
Ozawa, C., Suzuki, T., Mizuno, Y., Tarumi, R., Yoshida, K., Fujii, K., Hirano, J.,
Tani, H., Rubinstein, E. B., Mimura, M., & Uchida, H. (2017). Resilience and
spirituality in patients with depression and their family members: A cross-
sectional study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 77,53-59.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.06.002
Singh, J., & Chopra, V. G. (2018). Workplace spirituality, grit and work engagement.
Asia-Pacific Journal of Management Research and Innovation, 14(1-2), 50-59.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2319510X18811776
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Vela, J. C., Smith, W. D., Whittenberg, J. F., Guardiola, R., & Savage, M. (2018).
Positive psychology factors as predictors of Latina/o college students’
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