Abstract
Background:
A student’s perseverance and passion towards their own academic goals are a necessity to being successful in a health care-based program. Although perseverance in an academic program is often studied as more of an outcome, grit and determination can be examined as a predictor to success. The GRIT scale aims to use a person’s perseverance as a predictor. Further, a person’s personality may also contribute to their ability to complete and excel in an academic program. The aim of this research is to examine a correlation between a student’s academic GRIT and his/her results of the True Color Personality Test results.
Methods:
This research was conducted within the Department of Respiratory Care at Texas State University. Thirty-eight newly admitted respiratory care students participated in the research. Participants first completed the True Colors Personality Test and then completed an 8-question GRIT scale both completed within 7 days of starting their new academic program. A post 8-question GRIT survey was later administered on the final day of class in their first academic semester. Pre and post results are reported. This project was IRB exempt.
Results:
Initial survey results reported an average GRIT score of 3.861 for the personality color blue (N = 9), 3.798 for gold (N = 13), 3.59 for orange (N = 12), and 3.75 for green (N = 1). Post survey averages later reviewed changes in GRIT scores. Those averages were 3.375 for blue (N = 9), 3.604 for gold (N = 12), 3.65 for orange (N = 10), and 3.75 for green (N = 1).
Conclusions:
Findings revealed a decrease in averages for both the blue and gold personalities. It was also revealed the orange personalities had an increase in GRIT following the first semester in the respiratory care program. Further research is currently being conducted.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.