Are harmonious and obsessive passions distinct?

Abstract Passionate activities can be a source of pleasure and meaning. According to the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) individuals can have either a harmonious or an obsessive passion for an activity. Where harmonious passions provide positive emotional experience, obsessive passions do not. Using Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (2004), it was hypothesized that harmonious passions could have cognitive benefits. By grouping individuals (N=141, M-age=24 years, 89 women) based on their passion orientation, the roles of selfreported optimism, social desirability, social support, attention, executive functioning, and life quality were examined in distinguishing harmonious and obsessive passion. It was demonstrated that harmoniously passionate individuals differed from the obsessively passionate on all measures of attention, executive functioning, and life quality. Where obsessively passionate individuals reported lower attention, executive functioning, and life quality, harmoniously passionate individuals did not. Individuals who were highly passionate differed from less passionate people on optimism. These differences correspond well to that which would be predicted on the basis of the broaden-and-build theory. Taxometric methods were also used to investigate the latent structure of Vallerand’s Passion questionnaire. Taxometric methods can test whether a construct is categorical (passion being harmonious or obsessive) or dimensional (only varying in degrees of intensity). Results from taxometric analyses (MAMBAC/MAXCOV) are most consistent with the idea that passion exists in a continuum between its harmonious and obsessive forms.Master of Arts (M.A.) in Experimental Psycholog

Syrian Refugees’ Participation in Language Classes: Motivators and Barriers

Resettlement country language literacy facilitates integration and counteracts social and economic marginalization. Thus, access to language learning is a social justice issue. Resettled refugees in Canada are eligible for free English/French language training. Between 2015-2017, Canada resettled 47,735 Syrian refugees. We explored predictors of language class participation for Syrian refugees, examining data from 1915 adult Syrian refugees in government-funded language classes in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Findings suggest access to language programs are shaped by provincial policies. Factors hindering participation varied by province and included gender, physical/mental health, education, English/French literacy, and employment. Practice and policy recommendations are discussed.L'alphabétisation dans la langue du pays d’accueil facilite l'intégration et réduit la marginalisation sociale et économique. Ainsi, l'accès à l'apprentissage de la langue est une question de justice sociale. Les réfugiés réinstallés au Canada sont admissibles à une formation gratuite en anglais/français. Entre 2015 et 2017, le Canada a réinstallé 47 735 réfugiés syriens. Nous avons exploré les prédicteurs de la participation aux cours de langue pour les réfugiés syriens, en examinant les données de 1 915 réfugiés syriens adultes dans des cours de langue financés par le gouvernement en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et au Québec. Les facteurs entravant la participation variaient selon la province et comprenaient le sexe, la santé physique/mentale, l'éducation, l'alphabétisation en anglais/français et l'emploi. Des recommandations pratiques et politiques sont discutées

What Role Does Type of Sponsorship Play in Early Integration Outcomes? Syrian Refugees Resettled in Six Canadian Cities

AbstractThere is little longitudinal research that directly compares the effectiveness of Canada’s Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) and Privately Sponsored Refugee (PSR) Programs that takes into account possible socio-demographic differences between them. This article reports findings from 1,921 newly arrived adult Syrian refugees in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. GARs and PSRs differed widely on several demographic characteristics, including length of time displaced. Furthermore, PSRs sponsored by Groups of 5 resembled GARs more than other PSR sponsorship types on many of these characteristics. PSRs also had broader social networks than GARs. Sociodemographic differences and city of residence influenced integration outcomes, emphasizing the importance of considering differences between refugee groups when comparing the impact of these programs.RésuméIl existe peu de recherches longitudinales comparant directement l’efficacité des programmes gouvernemental (RPG) et privé (PPR) de parrainage des réfugiés au Canada qui tiennent compte de possibles différences socio-démographique entre eux. Cet article rend compte des résultats de 1921 nouveaux arrivants syriens adultes en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et au Québec. Les RPG et PPR diffèrent largement sur plusieurs caractéristiques démographiques, dont le temps du déplacement. De plus, les PPR parrainés par groupes de cinq ressemblaient davantage aux RPG que les autres types de parrainage PPR sur plusieurs de ces caractéristiques. Les PPR avaient aussi des réseaux sociaux plus larges que les RPG. Les différences sociodémographiques et la ville de résidence influent sur l’intégration, ce qui fait ressortir l’importance de tenir compte des différences entre les groupes de réfugiés dans la comparaison de l’impact de ces programmes

Examining Trends of Cigarette Smoking Amongst Syrian Refugees During Their First Two Years in Canada

This brief report explored trends of cigarette smoking among Syrian newcomers in the first two years of resettlement in Canada. 1794 adult Syrian refugees were surveyed about their physical and mental health, and smoking behaviours. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and logistic regressions. Almost 27% of the sample reported cigarette smoking (50% light smokers and 50% moderate/heavy smokers). Light smokers increased and moderate/heavy smokers decreased in the number of cigarettes smoked from year 1 to year 2. Moderate/heavy smokers were more likely to be male and reported higher post-traumatic stress scores, while light smokers reported higher depression scores. Only 14.3% of smokers recalled receiving advice from health care providers in Canada regarding their smoking habits. Healthcare providers should provide tailored advice to everyone who is an active smoker with a specific emphasis on those who have concurrent health issues