The neural correlates of grit: Frontal lobe activity in grit effort and interest

Prior research has linked left frontal activity to well-being and right frontal activity to regulatory control, both of which relate to grit, leaving the frontal profile of grit unclear. The present study examined resting-state frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) and frontal alpha power in relation to grit, self-control, and conscientiousness in 76 young adults. Using 8-13 Hz alpha activity with average reference and following CSD transformation, we identified neural patterns for grit components and associated constructs: grit-effort and conscientiousness were associated with reduced right frontal cortical activity (F8), whereas grit-interest and self-control were linked to increased left frontal cortical activity (F3). All self-report measures were correlated with greater left-than-right cortical activity for medial frontal sites, with the strongest relationship between FAA and grit-total scores. Overall, these findings support differential neural correlates for grit-effort and grit-interest, and the need to consider the neural and behavioral correlates of the grit subscales in future research.