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How passionate individuals regulate their activity with other life domains: A goal‐systemic perspective
Author(s) -
Bélanger Jocelyn J.,
Schumpe Birga M.,
Nisa Claudia F.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12463
Subject(s) - passion , perspective (graphical) , psychology , preference , social psychology , goal orientation , goal pursuit , positive psychology , cognitive psychology , artificial intelligence , computer science , economics , microeconomics
Objective People that pursue a passionate activity obsessively (vs. harmoniously) tend to neglect (vs. integrate) other important life domains, yet research has been silent on the psychological mechanism explaining these differences in self‐regulation. The purpose of this research was to address this gap by testing the role of alternative goal suppression. Method Four studies tested whether harmonious passion is characterized by the pursuit of multifinality , the preference for means that gratify multiple goals simultaneously, whereas obsessive passion is characterized by the pursuit of counterfinality , the preference for means that serves a focal goal to the detriment of other pursuits. Underlying this relationship is the tendency to suppress goals conflicting with one’s passion. Results Study 1 found cross‐sectional support for these hypotheses. Study 2 replicated Study 1 and extended it by demonstrating that the relationship between obsessive passion and counterfinal means is mediated by alternative goal suppression. Study 3 replicated these findings using an experimental manipulation of passion. Study 4 found similar results by experimentally manipulating alternative goal suppression, the mediator, to demonstrate its causal influence on means evaluation. Conclusions Collectively, the present results demonstrate that passion plays a significant role in the type of means–ends relations preferred for goal pursuits.