Brief intervention boosts grit in teenage boys, study finds

A new study from Norway suggests that a brief educational program can help teenage boys develop more grit, a trait linked to success and well-being. Researchers discovered that a short intervention focused on building belief in one’s own abilities led to a noticeable increase in grit among male students. This finding, published in Frontiers in Education, offers a promising and simple way to support boys in developing the mental toughness needed to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

The researchers embarked on this study because they were concerned about the mental health and motivation of young people in Norway. While Norwegian teenagers generally report a good quality of life, recent trends indicate a worrying decline in their mental well-being. Studies have shown increasing feelings of loneliness, stress, and psychological discomfort among adolescents. Furthermore, motivation in school tends to decrease as students get older, hitting its lowest point around the age of 15.

Recognizing these issues, and understanding that schools can play a role in promoting mental health, the Norwegian government has emphasized mental well-being within the national school curriculum. However, the curriculum lacked specific guidance on how to effectively incorporate mental health topics into everyday schoolwork. This gap between policy and practical implementation led researchers to investigate whether targeted programs could be developed to boost motivation and overall well-being in schools.

To explore this, the researchers designed a study to test a new program aimed at increasing what they termed “I CAN” beliefs, which are essentially beliefs in one’s own capabilities. They recruited 421 students around 15 years old from 38 schools across Norway. These schools were already participating in a program called MOT, a youth development organization focused on building resilience in young people. The students were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups participated in an intervention program that was new to them. The experimental group received the “I CAN” intervention, while the control group participated in a program that focused on learning about different parts of the brain.

Before the interventions began, all students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of grit and growth mindset. Grit was measured using a questionnaire that evaluates perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning, was measured using a separate questionnaire developed by the researchers. Following this initial assessment, 256 students in the experimental group took part in the “I CAN” intervention, and 165 students in the control group participated in the brain-focused intervention. Both interventions were short, consisting of two 45-minute sessions.

The “I CAN” intervention was designed to activate a mental “switch” in students, encouraging them to develop stronger beliefs in their abilities. It was built on the idea that beliefs can be changed relatively quickly, unlike skills which often require extended practice. The intervention incorporated several key elements. It included information about how the brain develops and changes, emphasizing that the brain is malleable and can be shaped through learning and experiences. It stressed the importance of effort and repetition in building strong connections in the brain, promoting the idea that perseverance is key to improvement. The intervention also highlighted the concept of deliberate practice, which involves focused and sustained effort to improve in a specific area.

To make these concepts relatable, the intervention used examples and stories, including the story of a Norwegian snowboarder who achieved success despite significant health challenges. Metaphors, like “climbing your own ladder,” were used to illustrate personal growth and the idea that everyone can improve, even if they start at different points. Short, engaging activities were incorporated to maintain students’ attention throughout the sessions. A core component of the “I CAN” intervention involved three key messages: “You can achieve more than you realize if you invest sufficient effort,” “When faced with challenges, you can overcome them if you put your mind to it,” and “Self-belief and a positive focus are keys to success.” At the end of the intervention, students were asked to write down a personal reminder note of what they learned, to take home with them.

The control intervention, titled “Our Brain,” provided students with basic information about the brain. It covered topics such as the evolutionary development of the brain, the structure and function of neurons (brain cells), and the different lobes or sections of the brain and their general functions. It also briefly explained the cerebellum and brainstem, and how different parts of the brain work together. Importantly, this control intervention was designed to be purely informational, without any motivational or encouraging messages.

After the interventions, about eight to nine weeks later, students completed the grit and growth mindset questionnaires again. The researchers then analyzed the data to see if there were any changes in grit and growth mindset scores between the pre-test and post-test, and if there were differences between the experimental and control groups.

The analysis of the results showed that, overall, there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups in their grit or growth mindset scores after the interventions. However, when the researchers looked more closely at the experimental group, they found a marginally significant increase in grit for the group as a whole. More notably, they discovered a statistically significant increase in grit specifically among the male students in the experimental group.

This meant that the male students who participated in the “I CAN” intervention showed a real and measurable improvement in their grit scores compared to their scores before the intervention. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in grit or growth mindset.

The researchers concluded that their short “I CAN” intervention appeared to be effective in increasing grit, particularly in teenage boys. They suggested that the intervention may have successfully “turned on the switch” for these boys, strengthening their beliefs in their ability to persevere. The fact that the intervention seemed to have a stronger effect on boys might be related to gender differences in academic performance and interests.

Boys in Norway tend to face more academic challenges in school compared to girls, and they may have more untapped potential for improvement in areas like grit. Additionally, the examples used in the intervention, some of which related to elite sports, might have resonated more strongly with boys, potentially influencing their grit levels more effectively.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations to their study. The follow-up assessment was conducted only eight to nine weeks after the intervention, so the long-term effects of the program are still unknown. They also pointed out that they could not be completely certain that all teachers delivered the interventions exactly as planned, which could have affected the results. Furthermore, they suggested that the control intervention, which focused on brain information, might not have been the ideal comparison.

For future research, the team plans to conduct a larger study with older teenagers, aged 16 to 19, involving a greater number of participants in both the experimental and control groups. They also aim to investigate why the “I CAN” intervention appeared to be more effective for boys and explore ways to better tailor similar programs to benefit girls as well. Longer-term follow-up studies are needed to determine if the positive effects on grit are sustained over time. Despite these limitations, this study offers encouraging evidence that a simple, brief intervention can make a positive difference in developing grit, especially in teenage boys, potentially contributing to their future success and well-being.

The study, “I CAN intervention to increase grit and growth mindset: exploring the intervention for 15-year-olds Norwegian adolescents,” was authored by Hermundur Sigmundsson, Håvard Hauge, Jonas S. R. Leversen, and Monika Haga