Two types of passion
Both forms involve an activity that has become part of a person's identity. The difference is how it was internalized, drawing on ideas from self-determination theory.
- Harmonious passion: the person freely engages in the activity, and it fits with other parts of life
- Obsessive passion: the person feels an internal compulsion, often linked to self-esteem or social acceptance, and the activity may conflict with other parts of life
Reported outcomes
A meta-analysis by Curran and colleagues reported that harmonious passion tended to be associated with positive experiences, whereas obsessive passion was linked with negative affect and conflict. Both types can be related to high levels of engagement and persistence. People with harmonious passion are often reported to perform better at work and feel better overall, though performance links are less clear than those for wellbeing. Obsessive passion has also been related to rigid persistence and to outcomes such as burnout or injury.
Limits of the evidence
Most studies use the Passion Scale in cross-sectional designs and depend on self-report, so it is difficult to know whether passion shapes outcomes or the reverse. People who are succeeding and feeling well may describe their involvement as more harmonious. The scale's items can also overlap with the wellbeing outcomes under study. Some have questioned whether the two forms are more usefully seen as continuous tendencies instead of types, as many individuals report some of each.
Further reading
- Vallerand, R. J., Blanchard, C., Mageau, G. A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C., Léonard, M., Gagné, M., & Marsolais, J. (2003). Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(4).
- Curran, T., Hill, A. P., Appleton, P. R., Vallerand, R. J., & Standage, M. (2015). The psychology of passion: A meta-analytical review of a decade of research on intrapersonal outcomes. Motivation and Emotion, 39(5).