Gaming passion contributes to the definition and identification of problematic gaming

Even if for most people playing video games is a healthy leisure activity, a minority of vulnerable users present an excessive use associated to negative consequences (e.g., psychosocial maladjustment, sleep interference) and functional impairment. The current study first aims to identify psychological factors that contribute to discriminate highly involved (but healthy) gamers from problematic gamers. For that purpose, we used a cluster analysis approach to identify different groups of gamers based on their profiles of passion towards gaming (using the Dualistic Model of Passion). Another objective of the present study is to explore, using supervised machine-learning, how gaming disorder symptoms, assessed within the substance use disorder framework (e.g., tolerance, withdrawal), might be linked to harmonious and/or an obsessive passion for gaming. Three distinct clusters of gamers were identified based on their passion profiles, including risky gamers, engaged gamers, and casual gamers. Supervised machine-learning algorithms identified that specific gaming disorder symptoms (salience, mood modification, tolerance, low level of conflict) were predominantly related to harmonious passion, whereas others (withdrawal, high level of conflict, relapse) were more directly related to obsessive passion. Our results support the relevance of person-centered approaches to the treatment of problematic gaming.

When hockey parents are motivationally imbalanced: Passion, need satisfaction, and verbal aggression toward officials

Spectators can engage in high levels of verbal aggression toward youth hockey officials. Often, the perpetrators of this aggression are the parents. Our aim was to test the motivational factors involved in explaining why hockey parents sometimes take things too far and engage in verbally aggressive behavior toward officials. We reasoned that verbal aggression toward officials would be a function of two forms of motivational imbalance. First, in line with the dualistic model of passion, we hypothesized that verbal aggression would be positively associated with hockey parents' obsessive passion, an imbalanced form of passion. Also, based on the compensatory model of passion, we predicted that obsessive passion would be associated with imbalanced psychological need satisfaction involving high need satisfaction from being a hockey parent, but low global need satisfaction. We administered online surveys to Canadian hockey parents (N = 992) assessing their verbal aggression toward officials, passion for being a hockey parent, and psychological need satisfaction from being a hockey parent and in general. Using structural equation modeling, we found support for a model in which high need satisfaction from being a hockey parent and low need satisfaction in general were associated with obsessive passion. Obsessive passion, in turn, was associated with greater verbal aggression toward referees. These findings help reveal why some hockey parents insult, threaten, and engage in other forms of verbal aggression toward officials. They also highlight the importance of maintaining motivational balance among sport parents.

Passion in hiking guides affects their group management skills and functional psychobiosocial experiences

Using the individual zones of optimal functioning model as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the interplay between passion, perceived group management skills, and functional emotion-related (psychobiosocial) experiences in hiking guides. The participants were 60 Italian hiking guides, 47 men and 13 women, aged 32-74 years (M = 57.25, SD = 10.49). They were asked to fill in an online questionnaire containing measures of harmonious and obsessive passion, perceived group management skills, and psychobiosocial experiences. Path analysis results showed positive indirect effects of both harmonious passion and obsessive passion on psychobiosocial experiences via group management skills. Additional results from moderated moderation suggest that high levels of obsessive passion, combined with low levels of both harmonious passion and perceived group management skills, are associated with lower intensity levels of psychobiosocial experiences. The findings contribute to increasing our understanding of the overall experience of hiking guides, and the important role they play in motivating people to engage in physical activity in a natural environment.

The effect of passion for activities on fear of COVID-19 and mental health among the Japanese population

As the ongoing pandemic limited the lives of the general population, people engaged in their favorite activities; either in alternative ways or while disregarding the restrictions. These activities and people's engagement in such activities are considered to have a significant impact on mental health. Thus, this study aimed to examine the relationship between two types of passion (harmonious passion and obsessive passion), fear of COVID-19, and mental distress. Thus, a total of 322 Japanese participants completed an online questionnaire. The results showed that harmonious passion (HP) was negatively related to mental distress. Conversely, obsessive passion (OP) was positively related to fear of COVID-19 and mental distress. The fear of COVID-19 had a positive relationship with mental distress. This study evidenced that HP is a protective factor against pandemics as it improves mental health during a pandemic. However, OP is a risk factor as it amplifies fear of COVID-19. Focusing on distinct types of passion may prove effective in improving mental health amidst the pandemic.

The role of passion for studies on academic procrastination and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Procrastination is a maladaptive behaviour that students often experience in academic activities and can result in negative consequences to mental health. The challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic can contribute to increase procrastination behaviors in academic activities that the student does not like and in those he/she is passionate. The main objective of this research was to test an integrative model of passion, procrastination, satisfaction with life and psychological distress in students during pandemic. The sample was comprised of 416 university students aged between 18 and 57 years (M_age = 24.81 ± 7.02, 78.1% women). Structural Equation Modeling results revealed that academic procrastination is negatively linked to harmonious passion, and positively linked to obsessive passion. Academic procrastination in turn is negatively linked to satisfaction with life and positively linked to psychological distress. Harmonious passion also was directly positively associated to satisfaction with life and negatively associated to psychological distress. These results suggest that students’ harmonious passion for their studies plays a protective role against academic procrastination and mental health indicators, while obsessive passion represents a risk factor.

Experience and Passion in Poker: Are There Well-Being Implications?

Previous studies on gambling passion have identified that obsessive passion is related to negative consequences, including gambling pathology, whereas harmonious passion is mostly related to positive outcomes both during and after engagement in gambling activity. In the present study, we focused on poker players (N = 311) and investigated the associations between the two types of gambling passion and subjective well-being, while taking into account acquired poker experience. We found that harmonious passion toward poker was associated with higher levels of well-being, whereas the reverse was true for obsessive passion. Poker experience was positively related to harmonious but not obsessive passion, and moderated the relationship between harmonious passion and quality of life. Our findings contribute to extant literature on passion and further solidify its application in a gambling context. Most importantly, our results underline the relevance of accounting for poker experience when studying gambling among poker players.

Contrasting the effects of harmonious and obsessive passion for religion on stress and drinking: Give me that old time religion … and a beer

Research has established two types of passion (i.e., harmonious and obsessive) for several activities, behaviors, and relationships (Vallerand & Houlfourt, 2003). Harmonious passion is characterized by an autonomous orientation toward an activity, while obsessive passion is characterized by a more controlled orientation toward an activity. Similar but not congruent conceptualizations of approaches to religion have been explored. Moreover, the preponderance of research suggests that religiousness is associated with decreased problematic alcohol use. However, little research has been done into contrasting approaches to religious devotion. We explored harmonious and obsessive passion for religious beliefs and practices and their association with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Perceived stress and satisfaction with life were examined as mediators. Participants included 707 undergraduate students (54.8% female) from a large southwestern university who were recruited as a part of a larger alcohol-related intervention trial. Data were collected at three time points: baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up, and were analyzed prospectively, with passion and mental health at time 1 and time 2 predicting alcohol outcomes at time 2 and time 3. The indirect effects of both obsessive passion and harmonious passion on alcohol problems through perceived stress were significant, and in opposite directions. Additionally, moderation analyses showed that both obsessive and harmonious passion for religion moderated the associations between perceived stress and drinking and between perceived stress and alcohol problems.

One-Year Prospective Study on Passion and Gambling Problems in Poker Players

The concept of passion is relevant to understanding gambling behaviours and gambling problems. Longitudinal studies are useful to better understand the absence and development of gambling problems; however, only one study has specifically considered poker players. Using a longitudinal design, this study aims to determine the influence, 1 year later, of two forms of passion-harmonious and obsessive-on gambling problems in poker players. A total of 116 poker players was recruited from across Quebec, Canada. The outcome variable of interest was participants' category on the Canadian Pathological Gambling Index, and the predictive variable was the Gambling Passion Scale. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent risk factors of at-risk poker players 1 year later. Obsessive passion at baseline doubled the risk of gambling problems 1 year later (p < 0.01); for harmonious passion, there was no association. Number of gambling activities, drug problems, and impulsivity were also associated with at-risk gambling. This study highlights the links between obsessive passion and at-risk behaviours among poker players. It is therefore important to prevent the development of obsessive passion among poker players.