Obsessive passion: a compensatory response to unsatisfied needs

The present research investigated the role of two sources of psychological need satisfaction (inside and outside a passionate activity) as determinants of harmonious (HP) and obsessive (OP) passion. Four studies were carried out with different samples of young and middle-aged adults (e.g., athletes, musicians; total N=648). Different research designs (cross-sectional, mixed, longitudinal) were also used. Results showed that only a rigid engagement in a passionate activity (OP) was predicted by low levels of need satisfaction outside the passionate activity (in an important life context or in life in general), whereas both OP and a more favorable and balanced type of passion, HP were positively predicted by need satisfaction inside the passionate activity. Further, OP led to negative outcomes, and HP predicted positive outcomes. These results suggest that OP may represent a form of compensatory striving for psychological need satisfaction. It appears important to consider two distinct sources of need satisfaction, inside and outside the passionate activity, when investigating determinants of optimal and less optimal forms of activity engagemen

On the differential relationships involving perfectionism and academic adjustment: The mediating role of passion and affect

The purpose of this research was to shed light on the paradoxical relationships between perfectionism and academic adjustment. It was proposed that the positive relationship between self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and academic adjustment is due to harmonious passion (HP) for one's studies, which triggers positive affect. Conversely, it is proposed obsessive passion (OP) for studies, through negative affect, mediates the negative relationship of both SOP and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) with academic adjustment. These hypotheses were supported in two studies. Furthermore, Study 2 revealed that the positive effects of SOP are due to striving for perfection, a facet of SOP (Campbell & Di Paula, 2002). In contrast, the negative relationship between SOP and academic adjustment is due to the importance of being perfect (another facet of SOP). Results provide insights on the role of perfectionism in academic adjustment and yield implications for the field of educational psychology

The two roads from passion to sport performance and psychological well-being: the mediating role of need satisfaction, deliberate practice, and achievement goals

Objectives: Research on passion has demonstrated the existence of two roads toward sports performance through the effects of deliberate practice (Vallerand et al., 2007, 2008). The first emanates from harmonious passion (HP) and contributes to both performance and psychological well-being. The second stems from obsessive passion (OP), and performance comes at the cost of well-being. The present research proposes that need satisfaction (Deci & Ryan, 2000) mediates the relation of HP, but not OP, with both outcomes. In Study 2, achievement goals were added to the model. Mastery goals were expected to mediate the positive relation between HP and outcomes, whereas performance-avoidance goals would be associated with OP and, thus be detrimental to athletes. Design: Two studies using correlational (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) designs. Method: Study 1 (N ¼ 172) was conducted with soccer players. Study 2 was conducted with hockey players (N ¼ 598). Athletes completed measures of passion, need satisfaction, life satisfaction, deliberate practice, and achievement goals (Study 2 only). Coaches assessed performance in Study 1. Study 2 used games played in competitive leagues over 15 years to measure performance. Results: Analyses using SEM provided support for the mediating role of need satisfaction (Study 1 and 2) and achievement goals (Study 2) in the relation of HP with outcomes. In contrast, deliberate practice (Study 1 and 2) meditated the relation between OP and performance. Conclusions: This research supported the mediating role of need satisfaction in the ‘two roads to performance” (Vallerand et al., 2007, 2008)

Passion and mindfulness: accessing adaptive self-processes

The goal of this research was to examine passion as a determinant of mindfulness. Three studies were conducted based on the premise that harmonious passion (HP) provides access to adaptive self-processes, such as mindfulness, whereas obsessive passion (OP) limits such access. In Study 1 (n = 301), results revealed that HP and OP positively and negatively predicted mindfulness, respectively. Study 2 (n = 459) aimed at replicating results from Study 1 and explored the mediating role of mindfulness in the passion–affect relationship. Results uncovered that HP and OP, respectively, predicted positively and negatively mindfulness that, in turn, positively predicted positive affect and negatively predicted negative affect. These results were replicated in Study 3 (n = 176) while incorporating a time lag in the design. Vitality was also included in the model and was positively predicted by mindfulness. Findings underscore the facilitative role of HP in accessing adaptive selfprocesses, such as mindfulness

Passion, coping, and anxiety in sport: The interplay between key motivational and self-regulatory processes

The present paper examined the interplay between key motivational and selfregulatory processes, namely passion and coping strategies, and their relation with anxiety in the sport domain. Two studies with a combined 348 athletes were conducted in order to test a model whereby two types of passion were differentially related to anxiety through the use of different coping strategies. Overall, results supported our hypotheses by demonstrating that harmonious passion was associated to approach-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were related to less anxiety. In contrast, obsessive passion was positively related to avoidance-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were associated with more anxiety. This paper identifies coping strategies as a mediator in the relation between passion and anxiety, thus providing further support for the study of the relation between motivational and self-regulatory processes in order to better understand athletes’ psychological adjustment in sport