Persistence (psychology)

Persistence is a key personality trait, describing an individual's propensity to remain motivated, resilient, and goal-driven in the face of challenges and difficulties they may encounter whilst carrying out tasks and working towards goals. Identified by psychiatrist C. Robert Cloninger in his Psychobiological Model of Personality, persistence more precisely refers to "perseverance in spite of fatigue or frustration". According to Cloninger, this perseverance demonstrates a psychological determination that is foundational in aiding an individual's long-term success in achieving goals.

C. Robert Cloninger outlined his model of personality by distinguishing between what he described as temperament and character traits. Temperament refers to genetically based differences in a range of behavioural and emotional characteristics which emerge early in an individual’s life. Initially, the model comprised three temperament dimensions: Novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HM) and reward dependence (RD). However, upon the application of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), the first tool designed to measure these three dimensions, Cloninger determined that the existing subscale for Reward Dependence, 'persistence', was significantly distinct from each of these dimensions. Hence, persistence is now considered one of the four individually inherited temperament traits.

This model was further adjusted to include three supplementary dimensions of character, which are experience-acquired traits that develop over a lifetime: cooperativeness (CO), self-transcendence (SF), and self-directedness (SD). Together with the four temperament dimensions, these character traits form Cloninger's 7-factor model of personality.

This psychobiological model argues that personality is formed through interactions between genetic predispositions that emerge during early life, neurobiological processes and environmental influences (i.e., learning and social influences). Research with twin and family studies supports this claim, finding that persistence, like the other temperament traits, is moderately heritable. For example, twin analyses indicate that approximately 23% of the genetic variance found in TPQ results was specific to persistence. However, this was only the case for women. Whilst PS was also a distinct temperament dimension in men, it could not be concluded that there was a genetic component to this trait.

The original three temperament traits have each been intensively studied and subsequently associated with specific neurotransmitter activity, including dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic systems, whilst there is comparatively limited evidence for the specific neurobiological systems implicated in PS. Despite this, Cloninger hypothesised that persistence is nonetheless shaped by our neurobiology. In particular, it is thought to be associated with the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system, which plays a crucial role in drive, goal-oriented behaviour, and reward processing, all key elements to persistence. However, sufficient empirical support for this theory is yet to be provided.

Persistence is measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). This is a widely utilised assessment tool designed by Cloninger to assess and measure the seven dimensions of personality as previously outlined in his psychobiological personality model. The TCI incorporates neurobiological and environmental components in an attempt to provide an extensive understanding of individual differences in personality and their potential causes. The revised version(TCI-R) contains 240 items and a Likert scale rating system for each statement to measure the traits more precisely[13].

The traits each have subscales. Persistence is assessed using a 35-item scale measuring elements such as perseverance and resolution towards achieving goals and committing to tasks.

The subscales of PS in TCI-R consist of 4 behaviour archetypes associated with the trait: