The French grit-o scale: psychometric properties and associations with engagement, performance, and well-being
Abstract
Grit, the capacity to sustain effort and interest toward long-term goals, has been widely studied in English-speaking contexts, but evidence from other cultural settings remains limited and inconsistent. In particular, no validated French version of the original 12-item Grit-O scale exists, limiting cross-cultural research on the structure and correlates of grit. The present study translated the Grit-O into French, evaluated its psychometric properties in 352 French-speaking adults recruited primarily through higher and continuing education settings, and investigated its role in academic engagement, performance, and well-being. Three confirmatory factor models were tested: a unidimensional model, a correlated two-factor model distinguishing Perseverance of Effort (PE) and Consistency of Interest (CI), and a bifactor model. Results strongly favored the bifactor structure, indicating a general grit factor with two distinct facets, dominated by PE. Convergent and criterion validity were supported: grit (primarily its PE component) was associated with greater student engagement, task performance, and psychological, emotional, and social well-being. CI showed weaker and sometimes negative associations, consistent with prior cross-cultural findings suggesting higher contextual variability. Overall, the French Grit-O shows robust reliability and validity and provides a theoretically grounded tool for studying grit in Francophone populations. Our findings highlight cultural nuances in the expression and predictive value of grit, particularly regarding CI, and underscore the need for further cross-cultural and developmental investigations.