Presenter(s)
Ava Krolnik
Abstract
Introduction: The debate between whether grit and resilience are the same thing or different concepts has long been discussed. While they may have different definitions, many claim that they measure the same thing while others claim that they are indeed separate ideas. During this debate, many studies have found that self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are all positively correlated with both grit and resilience. Despite these positive correlations, it is unclear which of these self-factors is the strongest predictor of grit and resilience and if they are the same for both. The current study aims to delve deeper into these connections to determine whether self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are predictors of both grit and resilience and which is the strongest, while determining whether grit and resilience seem to be distinct concepts. Methods: Participants (N=224) completed a survey with questions about grit, resilience, self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. Results: There were strong correlations between grit and resilience, r = 0.467, p < 0.001, grit and self-control, r = 0.719, p < 0.001, grit and self-esteem, r = 0.476, p < 0.001, and grit and self-acceptance, r = 0.537, p < 0.001. There were also strong correlations between resilience and self-control, r = 0.448, p < 0.001, resilience and self-esteem, r = 0.541, p < 0.001, and resilience and self-acceptance, r = 0.676, p < 0.001. We conducted two hierarchical regression analyses to explore whether self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance were significant predictors of grit and resilience. Self-control and self-esteem were the only significant predictors of grit. The regression coefficient indicates that for every increase in self-esteem, grit increases by 0.273, b = 0.273, t(220) = 2.196, p = 0.029. For every increase in self-control, grit increases by 0.451, b = 0.451, t(220) =10.992, p < 0.001. Self-acceptance and self-esteem were the only significant predictors of resilience. The regression coefficient indicates that for every increase in self-esteem, resilience increases by 0.203, b = 0.203, t(220) = 2.175, p = 0.031. For every increase in self-acceptance, resilience increases by 0.382, b = 0.382, t(220) = 7.350, p < 0.001. Discussion: Our results confirm that grit and resilience are significantly correlated. However, they do appear to be distinct concepts which support previous research and suggest that there is some level of difference between them. Self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance were all positively correlated with grit and resilience supporting the findings of previous studies. While self-esteem was a significant predictor for both grit and resilience, self-control was only a significant predictor for grit, and the self-acceptance was only a significant predictor of resilience. These results may be due to the difference in what these concepts measure by their definitions. Practitioners should focus on helping clients improve their self-control when wanting to improve their clients' grit, and self-acceptance when wanting to improve their client's resilience. Future research should delve deeper into the relationships between self-control and and grit, and self-acceptance and resilience to further explore why these predictive relationships emerged.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Psychology
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Robert Casselman
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 1:00 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2a=1pm-2pm
Poster Number
31
Self-Esteem, Self-Control, and Self-Acceptance as Predictors of Grit and Resilience
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Introduction: The debate between whether grit and resilience are the same thing or different concepts has long been discussed. While they may have different definitions, many claim that they measure the same thing while others claim that they are indeed separate ideas. During this debate, many studies have found that self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are all positively correlated with both grit and resilience. Despite these positive correlations, it is unclear which of these self-factors is the strongest predictor of grit and resilience and if they are the same for both. The current study aims to delve deeper into these connections to determine whether self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance are predictors of both grit and resilience and which is the strongest, while determining whether grit and resilience seem to be distinct concepts. Methods: Participants (N=224) completed a survey with questions about grit, resilience, self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. Results: There were strong correlations between grit and resilience, r = 0.467, p < 0.001, grit and self-control, r = 0.719, p < 0.001, grit and self-esteem, r = 0.476, p < 0.001, and grit and self-acceptance, r = 0.537, p < 0.001. There were also strong correlations between resilience and self-control, r = 0.448, p < 0.001, resilience and self-esteem, r = 0.541, p < 0.001, and resilience and self-acceptance, r = 0.676, p < 0.001. We conducted two hierarchical regression analyses to explore whether self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance were significant predictors of grit and resilience. Self-control and self-esteem were the only significant predictors of grit. The regression coefficient indicates that for every increase in self-esteem, grit increases by 0.273, b = 0.273, t(220) = 2.196, p = 0.029. For every increase in self-control, grit increases by 0.451, b = 0.451, t(220) =10.992, p < 0.001. Self-acceptance and self-esteem were the only significant predictors of resilience. The regression coefficient indicates that for every increase in self-esteem, resilience increases by 0.203, b = 0.203, t(220) = 2.175, p = 0.031. For every increase in self-acceptance, resilience increases by 0.382, b = 0.382, t(220) = 7.350, p < 0.001. Discussion: Our results confirm that grit and resilience are significantly correlated. However, they do appear to be distinct concepts which support previous research and suggest that there is some level of difference between them. Self-control, self-esteem, and self-acceptance were all positively correlated with grit and resilience supporting the findings of previous studies. While self-esteem was a significant predictor for both grit and resilience, self-control was only a significant predictor for grit, and the self-acceptance was only a significant predictor of resilience. These results may be due to the difference in what these concepts measure by their definitions. Practitioners should focus on helping clients improve their self-control when wanting to improve their clients' grit, and self-acceptance when wanting to improve their client's resilience. Future research should delve deeper into the relationships between self-control and and grit, and self-acceptance and resilience to further explore why these predictive relationships emerged.
