Psychology

Has your passion crossed the line to obsession?

Julie is crazy about karate. Her chosen sport has given her many memorable moments, especially during competitions. Unfortunately, the gym’s closed on weekends and she really misses her sport, so she hits the pool instead.  Pierre has a passion, too: chess. He just can’t do without it – and he has to win. His mood and self-esteem depend on it, and he has trouble imagining his life without it. 

Julie and Pierre are “enthusiasts” (the French term is “passionné”) of very different kinds. Julie is a “harmonious” enthusiast, while Pierre is an “obsessive.” “There’s a major nuance between the two, and we’re attempting to establish the difference. How does an activity that is initially performed for fun become a real obsession for some people, while it remains healthy for others?”  asks Geneviève Mageau, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the Université de Montréal. Human passions have intrigued us since the beginning of time, says the young professor.  Baruch Spinoza, Friedrich Hegel, René Descartes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, to name just a few prominent figures, have devoted large segments of their careers to contemplating the subject. But the word “passion,” which comes from the Latin “passio” or suffering, is used so indiscriminately these days that the real meaning seems to have been lost along the way.

Mageau believes that there are two categories of “enthusiasts.”  Obsessives, like Pierre, gradually lose control over their lives, and their leisure pastime assumes disproportionate importance. For Julie and people like her, play is a positive, refreshing experience that improves concentration, alleviates anxiety, and improves the quality of sleep. For obsessives, time not devoted to the object of their passion is wasted time, while the “harmonious” continue to savour the benefits of their activity between bouts. The former feel guilty because they can think of nothing else while the latter are inspired by yesterday’s smart moves and anticipate tomorrow’s game.

Since completing her doctorate in experimental psychology at UQAM from 1998 to 2003 under the supervision of Robert Vallerand, Mageau has been scrutinizing people’s passions in an attempt to learn more about the subject. “At the experimental level, there’s not much documentation on the topic,” she says. “In fact, this is an area that’s quite difficult to discuss with research subjects.”

Difficult, yes; impossible – no. In 2003, Mageau’s team used a scale developed by her former professor and distributed questionnaires to 539 CEGEP students asking them to describe “the activity that’s closest to your heart.” Mageau opens the filing cabinet labelled “passions” and takes out a few forms at random. Sports is well represented: soccer, football, hockey, baseball, tennis... Same for the arts: X lives for the theatre, Y for music, dance, or the movies. Interpersonal relationships are the big thing for lots of young people. “But a passion is more than just a recreational activity,” she explains. “People who play the guitar or go jogging in their spare time don’t define themselves as ‘guitarists’ or ‘joggers.’” On the other hand, the pianist who practices a Liszt sonata for 10 hours and the basketball player who rises before dawn on tournament day find these activities effortless.  That kind of Spartan discipline seems nothing but pure folly to non-“passionnés.”

Mageau has a lot on her plate. The young professor has been given the green light by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture to conduct an experimental psychology project. She admits that the early years of an academic career can be extremely demanding, but for her it’s a true passion. Obsessive or harmonious? She hazards a shy smile. “Harmonious. But I must admit I did have my obsessive period,” she concedes, slightly embarrassed.