Angela Duckworth

I study individual differences that predict achievement. My research centers on self-control (the ability to regulate emotions, thoughts, and feelings in the service of valued goals) and grit (perseverance and sustained interest in long-term goals). In prospective, longitudinal studies, I document the relationships among self-control, grit, and intelligence, and their prediction of academic and professional achievement. Whenever possible, I take a multimethod, multisource approach to the assessment of traits, employing self-report, informant report, and behavioral measures. Most recently, I have become interested in the intersection of personality psychology and economics, two fields which share research questions (e.g., which individual differences are most important to socioeconomic success) and whose distinct methodological and conceptual advances might profit the other.