Good vibes are contagious: Exploring within- and between-person predictors of grit in group environments
Abstract
The groups we belong to and people we surround ourselves with can influence our goal pursuit through the types of goals we pursue and effort we put into pursuing them. Grit is one psychological construct encompassing passion and perseverance for goals that has yet to be thoroughly examined as it emerges across specific contexts. This thesis explored how perceptions of the group environment and group member goal interest and perseverance interact to influence individual context-specific grit. Study 1 examined a student club sample to investigate between-person associations of variables across groups exhibiting different levels of perceived interdependence. Study 2 aimed to explore within-person variability in associations by employing an intensive longitudinal design with competitive rowers. Results across both studies found club members’ and rowers’ grit for group-related goals were predicted by their perceptions of group members’ grit. Findings support tenets of theoretical models explaining how people pursue goals within groups.