Catherine F. Ratelle

Les passions de l'ame: on obsessive and harmonious passion.

Passion is defined as a strong inclination toward an activity that people like, that they find important, and in which they invest time and energy. Two types of passion are proposed: obsessive and harmonious. Obsessive passion (OP) refers to a controlled internalization of an activity in ones identity that creates an internal pressure to engage in the activity that the person likes. Harmonious passion (HP) refers to an autonomous internalization that leads individuals to choose to engage in the activity that they like. HP promotes healthy adaptation whereas OP thwarts it by causing negative affect and rigid persistence. Results from four studies involving more than 900 participants from different populations supported the proposed conceptualization.

When passion leads to problematic outcomes: a look at gambling.

Vallerand et al. (2003) have proposed that individuals can have two distinct types of passion toward an activity. Harmonious passion, an internal force leading one to choose to engage in the activity, is proposed to be associated with positive consequences. Obsessive passion, an internal pressure forcing one to engage in an activity, is posited to be associated with negative consequences. The present study sought to determine the role of the two types of passion in various cognitive and affective states associated with dependence and problems with gambling. Participants (n = 412) were recruited at the Montréal Casino and given a questionnaire measuring passion toward gambling, as well as consequences associated with dependence and problem gambling. Results showed that obsessive passion for gambling predicted poorer vitality and concentration in daily tasks, as well as increased rumination, anxiety, negative mood, guilt, and problem gambling. These relations were not found for harmonious passion for gambling. Results are discussed in light of the motivational approach to passion (Vallerand et al., 2003).

Passion and Gambling: On the Validation of the Gambling Passion Scale (GPS)

Vallerand and his colleagues (Vallerand & Blanchard, 1999; Vallerand, Blanchard, Koestner, & Gagné, 2001) have recently proposed a new concept of passion. According to these authors, passion refers to a strong inclination toward an activity that we like, find important, and in which we invest time. Vallerand et al. have identified two types of passion: obsessive and harmonious. Obsessive passion refers to an internal pressure that forces an individual to engage in the activity. Harmonious passion, on the other hand, refers to an internal force that leads an individual to choose freely to engage in an activity. While obsessive passion has been shown in some circumstances to lead to negative psychological and physical consequences, harmonious passion generally leads to positive psychological and physical consequences. The purpose of the present research was to validate a measure of passion toward gambling: the Gambling Passion Scale (GPS). The GPS consists of two subscales (obsessive passion and harmonious passion) comprising five items each. Results from two studies involving a total of 340 participants revealed satisfactory internal consistency and temporal stability indices, as well as a two-factor structure supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Finally, a series of partial correlational analyses between the two subscales and scales assessing behavioral measures related to gambling supported the construct validity of the GPS. The present results suggest that the GPS is a useful scale for research on gambling.

Distinguishing Developmental From Chronic Career Indecision: Self-Efficacy, Autonomy, and Social Support:

Career indecision can be divided into two categories: developmental and chronic indecision. The former is generally viewed as a developmentally normal problem resulting from a lack of information on the self and on the world of work, whereas the latter is defined as a pervasive inability to make a decision about one’s career. The goals of the present study were to test the validity of this typology of career indecision and to explain these types of indecision as a function of self-efficacy, autonomy, and support from parents and friends. Based on a 3-year longitudinal design with college students (N = 325), results provided validity for this typology by revealing the presence of two indecision groups (chronically undecided and developmentally undecided) and a group of students who are decided. In addition, results indicated that self-efficacy and autonomy are important dimensions that make it possible to distinguish between these three groups.

Family Correlates of Trajectories of Academic Motivation During a School Transition: A Semiparametric Group-Based Approach

The present study examined whether academic motivations, conceptualized from the stance of self-determination theory, fluctuate over time in a homogeneous or heterogeneous fashion during a school transition. Three objectives were pursued: First, motivational trajectories were studied using the conventional, homogeneous approach. Second, the group-based, semiparametric approach to developmental trajectories was used to study heterogeneous motivational trajectories. Third, family factors were compared across trajectory groups for each type of motivation. Results suggested that most types of motivation tend to fluctuate differently over time for distinct groups of individuals. Furthermore, students characterized by problematic motivational trajectories perceived their parents to be less involved in their scholastic work and less autonomy supportive than those of other students. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for research and theories on motivation and parenting.

Early Adolescent Attachment to Parents, Emotional Problems, and Teacher-Academic Worries about the Middle School Transition.

This study examines how attachment to mother and father predicts worries about academic demands and relationships with teachers generated by the transition from elementary to middle school through its contribution to adolescents’ emotional problems (depression and anxiety). The study sample includes 626 young adolescents (289 boys and 337 girls) in sixth grade who completed the Security Scale to assess security of attachment to their mothers and fathers. The results of analyses based on structural equation modeling showed that attachment to mother predicts adolescents’ teacher-academic worries about the middle school transition through anxiety symptoms. These results are discussed in light of the literature on attachment theory, emotional problems during adolescence, and the context of the middle school transition.

Worries About Middle School Transition and Subsequent Adjustment The Moderating Role of Classroom Goal Structure

This longitudinal study had three objectives: (a) to identify different profiles of second-year middle school students (Grade 8) in terms of academic, emotional, and social adjustment; (b) to test the contribution of worries at the end of Grade 6 to distinguish these profiles; and (c) to examine the moderating effect of mastery (MG) and performance goal (PG) structures in language arts class (Grade 7). A total of 342 mother-adolescent dyads participated in the study. Cluster analyses revealed three adjustment profiles: a well-adjusted group (WA), a socioemotionally adjusted group (SEA), and a socially adjusted group (SA). Hierarchical multinomial regression analyses showed that students who expressed worries had a lower probability of being in the WA. However, students who had a teacher who emphasized MG had a greater probability of being in the WA. Finally, worries about peers and teachers lowered the probability of being in the WA for students exposed to PG. Results are discussed in light of their implications for the literature on student adjustment, the elementary-to-middle school transition, and classroom goal structure.

Developmental Trajectories of Achievement Goal Orientations during the Middle School Transition: The Contribution of Emotional and Behavioral Dispositions.

This longitudinal study builds on research addressing changes in achievement goal orientations (AG) across the transition to middle school. We had two objectives. The first was to identify and describe different development trajectories of AG (mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance) from the last year of elementary school (Grade 6) to the third year of middle school (Grade 9, or Secondary 3). The second was to determine whether these trajectories depend on individual dispositions such as anxiety, depression, aggressiveness, and inattention. A sample of 378 French-speaking students from the province of Quebec and their mothers participated in a 4-year longitudinal study. Results showed three trajectories for mastery goals (High, Moderate, and Moderate-declining) and four trajectories for performance-approach (High, Moderate-declining, Low-increasing, and Low) and performance-avoidance goals (High, High-declining, Moderate, and Low-declining). Individual dispositions in the sixth grade predicted trajectory group membership. Results are discussed in light of their implications for the literature on AG and education.

Using the Self-Directed Search in Research: Selecting a Representative Pool of Items to Measure Vocational Interests

Using Item Response Theory (IRT) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the goal of this study was to select a reduced pool of items from the French Canadian version of the Self-Directed Search—Activities Section (Holland, Fritzsche, & Powell, 1994). Two studies were conducted. Results of Study 1, involving 727 French Canadian students, showed that the psychometric qualities of the 66-item French Canadian version are equivalent to those of the original English version. Based on IRT and factor loadings derived from a CFA, 24 items were selected from the original 66 items. In Study 2 (n = 339 French Canadian young adults), we tested and obtained support for the construct validity of the 24 selected items using CFA and correlational analyses among interests’ dimensions. We concluded that the selected pool of items accurately captured Holland’s theoretical framework and showed adequate psychometrics qualities and construct validity.

Psychological Need Satisfaction and Achievement Goals Exploring Indirect Effects of Academic and Social Adaptation Following the Transition to Secondary School

There is abundant evidence to suggest that students’ achievement goals (AGs) predict their motivation and performance. While it has been proposed that psychological need satisfaction (PNS) may affect AG, empirical support remains limited during the transition to secondary school. This prospective study addresses this gap by examining the link between students’ PNS and AGs through their academic and social adaptation during this transition. A large stratified sample of 626 students completed a series of measures before and after the transition to secondary school. The results revealed that satisfaction of students’ needs for autonomy and competence predicted the adoption of mastery goals through their academic adaptation. The satisfaction of needs for autonomy and relatedness also predicted lower adoption of performance-avoidance goals via their social adaptation. These findings highlight the importance of PNS in shaping adaptation and AG during the transition to secondary school. Practical implications for parents and teachers are discussed.