Will Power: Grit, Self-Control, and Achievement

What if it takes more than high grades, good test scores and innate intelligence to succeed? What if there are non-cognitive skills that are better predictors of success, and character traits that are more effective in helping your child achieve than those factors and skills that are measured by our schools? Angela Duckworth, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, working within the Positive Psychology Center, will explain the role of certain non-cognitive skills in success and achievement for both children and adults. She will focus on “grit” (“the perseverance and passion for a long-term goal”) and “self-control” (“staying on task in spite of temptation”) to demonstrate the more critical role these traits play than talent and self-esteem. Duckworth’s research indicates that the right balance of grit and self-control in the face of temptation, frustration and distraction is the key determinant for accomplishment. She will discuss research that shows what these qualities predict, how they differ from talent, and what she knows about cultivating the development of these “non-IQ competencies” in children and adults.

Duckworth is an experienced classroom teacher and a former McKinsey consultant. She holds an AB magna cum laude in advanced studies neurobiology from Harvard College, an M.Sc. with distinction in neuroscience from the University of Oxford, and an MA and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.