Lecture 11 - Passion

Question 1

Outline Harfield & Sprecher (1986) definition of passion

- Paragraph 1: introduction

Answer 1

Passion is viewed as an important dimension in romantic and marital relationships
- Could this be applied to the coach/ athlete relationships too?

Question 2

Outline Frijda (1991) definition of passion
- Paragraph 1: introduction

Answer 2

Passion is viewed as high-priority goals with emotionally important outcomes
- is it important to be passionate about the goals you have set

Question 3

Outline Vallerand (2008) definition of passion
- Paragraph 1: introduction

Answer 3

THE BEST DEFINITION TO GO WITH

“Passion is viewed as a strong inclination toward a personally meaningful and highly valued activity that one loves, finds self-defining and to which substantial time and energy is invested”

Any of these previous definitions would likely apply to sport contexts, but Vallerands (2008) is probably the best
Overall: it seems to be a meaningful and highly valued activity, that is self-defining

Question 4

What indicates a passionate activity?

- paragraph 1: introduction

Answer 4

• An activity is indicated as a passionate activity when it is self-defining
• It is central to an athletes identity
• The passionate activity is part of who the person is
• I don’t play golf, I am a golfer- this would indicate it’s a passionate activity

Question 5

Outline adaptive/ maladaptive passions

- paragraph 1: introduction

Answer 5

Is passion a good thing/ always a good thing?
1. Adaptive
- fuel task engagement – you want to take part in it more, and as a result, it increases:
•Motivation
•Well-being
•Enthusiasm
- this then makes you want to take part in it more, so the cycle repeats
- This provides a balanced and purposeful life

2. Maladaptive
   - overspills into compulsions – obsessive taking part, emotions around it can become negative, rigid persistence occurs

Question 6

Outline Vallerand (2007)'s Dualistic Approach to passion for sport activities
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 6

Vallerand (2007) came up with his Dualistic Approach to Passion for sport activities
Stating that Passion can be either be:
1. Harmoniousor 2. Obsessive

Question 7

Outline Vallerand (2007)'s Harmonious Passion - as part of his Dualistic Approach to passion for sport activities
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 7

1. THE PERSON CONTROLS THE ACTIVITY
2. They take part in the behavior out of complete choice- don’t feel like they have to, they want to
3. “A motivational force that leads a person to engage in the activity willingly and produces a sense of desire and personal support about pursuing the activity”
4. They don’t feel compelled and controlled to engage in the activity, they do it because they choose to do so
5. They balance it with other parts of their lives- know when its appropriate- it is harmonious with other aspects of their lives

Question 8

Outline Vallerand (2007)'s Obsessive Passion - as part of his Dualistic Approach to passion for sport activities
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 8

1. ACTIVITY CONTROLS THE PERSON
2. Refers to a motivational force that pushes a person toward an activity
3. They like the sport, but they feel compelled to engage in it due to an internal force that is controlling to them
4. Feel compelled to take part in something- e.g. to make parents proud, or people will like me more- in some way or another, the activity controls the person
5. Takes up a significant portion of their identity- starts to clash with other aspects of the persons life
6. Cant imaging not taking part in this activity, you are emotionally attached to this activity - you take part even when it’s not appropriate = e.g. you should be resting or seeing friends but you go and train/ play

Question 9

Outline the 3 step process to developing a passion - as part of Vallerand’s (2007) Dualistic Approach to passion for sport activities
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 9

3 step process to developing a passion - as part of Vallerand’s (2007) Dualistic Approach to passion for sport activities:

1. Activity selection – choose an activity
   - social env (family & Friends) play a major role in activity selection
   - do we partake in things because of influences from social env
2. Personal valuation of the activity – have to decide if it has personal value to you
   - if the sport activity selected contains an element of interest (its not fleeting) it is said to be valued and meaningful
   - if it is not fleeting, but a long term interest, it could turn into a passion
   - if it is fleeting, and you don’t find it interesting, you might not persist with it, and it might not become a part of your identity
3. Internalization in Identity
   - when the activity is highly valued and meaningful, you are likely to internalize it, making it a part of themselves
   - HOW it is internalized into your identity determines the type of passion you develop!!!!!!
   - Autonomous vs controlled internalisation

Question 10

During this 3 step process (Vallerand, 2007) - what distinguishes the types of passion
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 10

• Primary distinction is how the activity has been internalized into ones identity- the internalization behind it
• Internalisation of passion leans heavily on how personal and environmental factors permit a full or only partial integration of behavior
• Depends on personal and environmental factors to determine which type of passion it is
• There are two types of internalization:1. Autonomous2. Controlled

Question 11

Outline the 2 types of internalisation from (Vallerand, 2007)
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 11

1. Autonomous -> Harmonious- Subjective experience of personal choice
2. Controlled -> Obsessive- Objective experience of pressure/ control

The differences between autonomous and controlled subjective experiences will then lead to harmonious or obsessive passion

These relate to BNT, people like to feel in control of their own activities- a person doing an activity comes down to either being autonomous or controlled

Question 12

How does Autonomous internalisation lead to harmonious passions?
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 12

• Autonomous internalization -> Harmonious passion
• This occurs when an individual (of his/ her own) volition chooses to pursue something for the pleasure/ challenge/ enjoyment of it
• This type of internalization indicates:
• people have freely accepted the activity as important for them without any contingencies attached to them
• they can choose if and when they take part
• The persons identity is defined by the activity, and it’s subjective experience is that of personal choice
• THE SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE IS THAT OF PERSONAL CHOICE- this is what makes it harmonious passion

Question 13

How does Controlled internalisation lead to obsessive passions?
- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 13

•Occurs when an individual internalizes an activity becomes one feel internal or external pressure to do it
- because some contingencies are attached to it (e.g. social acceptance, self-esteem)

• Feel like they have to partake in an activity – so friends will like them more/ make parents proud
• Although the identity is still defined by the activity, THE OBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE IS THAT OF PRESSURE/CONTROL

Question 14

What are the 2 determinants of the internalisation process?

- paragraph 2: theory

Answer 14

1. Social Conditions
   - If they have chosen themselves, more likely to develop a harmonious passion
   - but if someone has pressured you into it, or expects you to excel at it, it can lead to an obsessive passion – they have to partake not to let others down
2. Personality (- trait characteristics)
   - Characteristics no matter the situation, athlete is predisposed to have these characteristics
   - if they are predisposed to stuff like anxiety, neuroticism, unhealthy attachment to parents – can effect how they perceive control
   - e.g. high neuroticism, might see pressures as more controlling than they actually are, this could predispose them to higher levels of obsessive passion

Question 15

Outline the Passion scale - Vallerand et al (2003)

• paragraph 2 theory/ paragraph 4- practical
• measures

Answer 15

•You can just do qual research, by talking to them, and asking them about their passions
•But as a quan researcher, you can use The Passion Scalefrom Vallerand et al (2003)
•Comprised of various questions, that cover either harmonious or controlled - have to agree to them on a 7 point likert
√ - It’s a valid and reliable scale used in research

E.g. question 1 assesses Harmonious - “This activity is in harmony with the other activities in my life:
and question 2 assesses obsessive - “i have difficulties controlling my urge to do my activity”

Question 16

What are the 5 correlates of passion we will explore research into?

Answer 16

1. Relationship Variables
2. Well-being
3. Affective outcomes
4. Persistence
5. Performance

Question 17

Outline Lafraniere et al (2008) research into Relationship variables as the first correlate of passion
- Paragraph 3 - research

Answer 17

Methods - Did 2 studies
•Study 1: Looked at athletes
- Showed that athletes perception of their relationship with coach (as measured by 3C’s) are related POSITIVELY to athletes HARMONIOUS PASSION and mainly unrelated with athletes OBSESSIVE PASSION

• Study 2 looked at coaches, but we are only looking at athletes atm
• Looked at each one of the 3Cs, both directly, and meta

Findings - Found 3 areas of findings:
1. HP positively predicted all dimensions of the quality of relationship with ones coach

2. OP significantly related to two components:
   - positively related to direct commitment
   - negatively related to meta-complementarity- the only 2 components of the 3Cs that are related to obsessive passion
   -> Why would someone be committed to someone who is not complemenary? - due to rigid persistance:
   •You will be committed to them because of rigid persistence
   •You will keep going no matter what, and despite what ever happens with complementiarity
3. Overall HP is associated with higher coach –athlete relationships than OP

Question 18

Outline how wellbeing as the second correlate of passion

• Paragraph 3 - research
• Is this Vallerand et al (2007) - check when going through the reading - originally in the lecture, this is the slide after the one about affective emotions, and that is vallerand, so maybe this one is too

Answer 18

• HP is associated with higher levels of psych wellbeing- it is mediated by the effects of positive emotions experienced with harmonious passion
• Reasons why Positive emotions mediate this relationship:
• Positive emotions allow access to the self- by broadening the attention and thought-action repertoires
• This subseqeutnly facilitates the use of adaptive processes, such as coping with adversity and stress

•Not the case for the obsessive passion – its unrelated to positive emotions
- It is not associated with positive emotions, so its not related to positive overall well being

Question 19

Outline Vallerand et al (2003: study 1) research into affective outcomes as the third correlate of passion
- Paragraph 3 - research

Answer 19

Vallerand et al (2003, study 1), showed that:

1. HP was positively related to task focus, feelings of flow and positive affect
2. OP was positively related to shame (but surprisingly not positively related to anxiety!)

Not surprising:
HP: is adaptive, a good motivator, balanced with life
- they are in control of the activity, little conflict with other activities
- they do it for fun, it maximises positive and minimizes negative affective responses

OP: Activity controls the individual, leads them to take part when its not appropriate
- it clashes with other parts of their life, might sacrifice other components of their lifes – and this can heighten negative affective responses, like shame

Question 20

Outline correlations between persistance outcomes as the fourth correlate of passion - relates to Vallerand et al (2003 - study 3)- Paragraph 3 - research

Answer 20

•Persistance is quite important looking at motor skills/ skill acquisition
•Certain factors can effect persistence, like confidence, motivation, anxiety, self-efficacy
•HP – person is in control of activity
- behavioral engagement and persistence is flexible
- knowing when and when not to partake

•OP – activity taken control of person

• likely for people to engage in activities when they shouldn’t
• might incurre personal costs due to this rigid persistence (maladaptive)

Both are likely to persist, but for different reasons

Links to Vallerand et al (2003) – study 3 - cyclists in quebec

Question 21

Outline Vallerand et al (2003) - study 3

- paragraph 3 - research

Answer 21

Vallerand et al (2003) - study 3
- persistance and passion

•Looked at cyclists in Quebec, comparing it across seasons of the years
•When it was summer/ spring/ autumn (pleasant) vs winter (freezing)
•They found that participants who were still cycling in the winter (icy, poor visibility etc) were those who reported higher levels of OP 6 months earlier (During the nice months)
- showing rigid persistence is there
•At this time of year, those with lower levels of Op, or with high HP, didn’t take part in the activity at a time where it was not appropriate

Question 22

Outline Vallerand, Meageau et al (2006: study 1) research into performance as the fifth correlate of passion
- Paragraph 3 - research

Answer 22

•Is passion a motivator
- can it be something that gets people doing something
- and it is HP or OP or both?
•Which type of motivation – intrinsic vs extrinsicneeds OP and which one needs HP?

Well Vallerand, Mageau et al (2006; study 1) investigated this:

Methods:
•Looked at basketball players and deliberate practice
•Deliberate practice is taking part over and over to try and improve- learn the activity -> improve of the activity - it can become repetitive/ boring
•They wanted to see if passion could influence deliberate practice, and then in turn influence performance

Findings - they both helped performance, but both via deliberate practie:
•They found that passion had an indirect influence on performance- INDIRECT because it influences deliberate practice, and its this deliberate practice that influences performance

•From the numbers, OP is better then HP for deliberate practice, and therefore performance- but remember, HP has better affective responses, and positive emotional resposnes can influence motivation and performance in itself

• Therefore, it is not clear which one is really better
• And its not clear why OP is stronger correlation here

Question 23

Outline Vallerand (2007) explaining this uncertainty about performance and passion,

• paragraph 3 - research
• paragraph 5 - future directions

Answer 23

• Explained that the role of OP in performance is very complex
• Future research is needed
• We don’t know why this is the case (Op being higher), need to understand more about influence of passion on performance- especially OP on performance
• For instance, some athletes quite like negative emotions and cope well with them

NEED MORE RESEARCH HERE

Question 24

Outline future research into passion

- paragraph 5 - future directions

Answer 24

X - What is the empirical link between passion and athletic identity?

X - What is association of passion with stuff like:
•Sport commitment•Anxiety•Eating disorders•Sport/ exercise dependendce•Attachment orientations•Moral behavior
- X - Future research needs to start looking at some of these relationships

Question 25

Outline practical implications

- Paragraph 5 - critical evaluationsrading

Answer 25

•Which type of passion should coaches and parents try to foster in young athletes, Olympic athletes and professional or senior athletes
and Why?
- Its probably harmonious passion, based on our limited research, best to use HP to try and develop athletes- based on relationship qualities (C/A), wellbeing, affect etc

•Based on limited evidence that indicates HP promotes adaptive sport outcomes- and that OP is either: unrelated to adaptive, or positively related to maladaptive
- Vallerand (2007) suggest it would be important to foster HP

•E.g. by getting young athletes to select activities that interest them, they like, and enjoy doing – to develop HP
- if they feel like they engage in these activities because they choose to do so, they are more likely to internalize and integrate the activity in their identity harmoniously- this also might increase long term adherence