Evidence for a behaviourally measurable perseverance trait

Abstract

Abbreviations:IBI: Interbeat interval HRV: heart rate variability Highlights  Behavioural perseverance of individuals can be measured behaviourally  Behavioural perseverance forms a two-factor structure  Perseverance trait is better predictor of performance than depletion of individuals' personal resources in a task AbstractThe aim of this exploratory study was to create a behavioural measure for trait(s) that reflect the ability and motivation to continue an unpleasant behaviour, i.e. perseverance or persistence, and to measure its correlates to several variables.We utilised six different tasks with 54 subjects to measure the perseverance-trait: cold pressor task, hand grip endurance task, impossible anagram task, impossible verbal reasoning task, thread and needle task and boring video task.According to our results, the task performances formed two perseverance factors that could be roughly described as "physical" and "mental" perseverance. Together, the two-factor solution is responsible for the common variance constituting 37.3 % of the total variance in the performances i.e. performance times. Excluding the impossible anagram task, the performance in any given task was better explained by performances in the other tasks (i.e. "trait", η 2 range = 0.131-0.253) than by rank order variable ("depletion", i.e. getting tired from the previous tasks, η 2 range = 0-0.096).Performance in other tasks, "trait" Rank order variable, "depletion"

The Maze Test: A Computer Tool for Testing Perseverance

“…Some studies use indicators based solely on the task solving time while others use indicators that take into account the efficiency of solving a task. 18 , 22 , 35 , 39 The Maze Test uses operationalized persistence indicators which allow the researcher to consider, or ignore, the efficiency of solving a task. A Synthetic Indicator of Perseverance and a unique focusing index were also developed.…”

“…A task with an unsolvable anagram was weakly, but significantly, associated with the mental factor. 22 The above overview of research shows that there is no unambiguous definition of perseverance in the literature. The different approaches to and definitions of perseverance may indeed indicate that it is a multidimensional construct.…”

“…A task with an unsolvable anagram was weakly, but significantly, associated with the mental factor. 22 …”