Posters
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
Summer 8-31-2026
Abstract
Perseverance is a character virtue necessary for flourishing in the STEM disciplines; however, there are competing definitions of perseverance in scientific literature, which makes measuring the trait and researching its impact difficult. This work provides a review of the definitions of construct found within the literature and compares it to conflated terms such as grit, persistence, resilience, and self-efficacy that have related, but distinct meanings. Finally, we summarize the role of perseverance in STEM and what factors may influence its formation.
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Belmont Formation Collaborative and the Formation Scholars Cohort for Character Research and Writing with funding from the Kern Family Foundation. We also thank our cohort colleagues, especially Mitchell Waters and Caleb Walder for their peer review feedback. We are accountable for writing this product without generative AI and in alignment with the aspirations of Belmont’s AI policy and the Psalm 8 AI Taskforce as of this date.
Recommended Citation
Ferrara, D. W., Jones, L. The Difficulty in Defining the Construct of Perseverance. August 2026. Poster produced for The Belmont Formation Scholar Cohort for Character Research and Writing.
Metadata/Fulltext
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