Testing the dualistic model of passion using a novel quadripartite approach: A look at physical and psychological well-being.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nPassion research has focused extensively on the unique effects of both harmonious passion and obsessive passion (Vallerand, 2015). We adopted a quadripartite approach (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010) to test whether physical and psychological well-being are distinctly related to subtypes of passion with varying within-person passion combinations: pure harmonious passion, pure obsessive passion, mixed passion, and non-passion.\n\n\nMETHOD\nIn four studies (total N\u2009=\u20093,122), we tested whether passion subtypes were differentially associated with self-reported general health (Study 1; N\u2009=\u20091,218 undergraduates), health symptoms in video gamers (Study 2; N\u2009=\u2009269 video game players), global psychological well-being (Study 3; N\u2009=\u20091,192 undergraduates), and academic burnout (Study 4; N\u2009=\u2009443 undergraduates) using latent moderated structural equation modeling.\n\n\nRESULTS\nPure harmonious passion was generally associated with more positive levels of physical health and psychological well-being compared to pure obsessive passion, mixed passion, and non-passion. In contrast, outcomes were more negative for pure obsessive passion compared to both mixed passion and non-passion subtypes.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThis research underscores the theoretical and empirical usefulness of a quadripartite approach for the study of passion. Overall, the results demonstrate the benefits of having harmonious passion, even when obsessive passion is also high (i.e., mixed passion), and highlight the costs associated with a pure obsessive passion.