Effect of different arousal emotions on grit

Abstract

Grit, which is defined as the will to achieve long-term goals and overcome difficulties, is an important resource of the individual in addition to intelligence. Emotions can activate people’s behavioral tendencies. Modern research shows that certain negative emotions can affect people in different ways. The purpose of this article is to study the differentiated influence of various emotions on persistence. The target group of the study is young people aged 18 to 25 years. Anger, disgust, fear, sadness, happiness, and relaxation were defined as independent variables, and participants’ scores on the endurance questionnaire were selected as the dependent variable. Harmon-Jones “Discrete Emotion Questionnaire” and Duckworth’s “Short Grit Scale” were used to measure emotion and grit. The results of the study showed that subjects in an emotional state of happiness and anger have a higher level of grit than subjects in a neutral emotional state. In a state of disgust, individuals increase perseverance than under the influence of neutral emotions. In addition, the state of sadness and fear affects the decrease in the level of grit. These studies provide preliminary evidence for the impact of different emotions on persistence. The practical significance of the study lies in the application of empirical data on the differentiated influence of specific negative emotions on human behavior in the regulation of the motivational-demand spheres of the personality.

Key words: academic performance, discrete emotions, grit, negative emotions, positive emotions.