Does dispositional mindfulness moderate how individuals engage in their passions? An investigation into video games

ABSTRACT

The Dualistic Model of Passion (DMP) is an emerging framework in social psychology that assesses individuals’ passion for an activity. Although a passion parallels the definition for a serious leisure activity, the DMP further differentiates between a harmonious (HP) versus an obsessive (OP) passion, which are associated with adaptive versus maladaptive outcomes, respectively. Building on recent research in the area of mindfulness and the growing interest in problem video gaming, the present study explores the effect of dispositional mindfulness on reports of HP and OP. An online sample of adult video game users (N = 1,124; 68.95% male) completed assessments of their passion for video gaming as well as their dispositional mindfulness. Results revealed a negative association between dispositional mindfulness and OP for video gaming, but no association between dispositional mindfulness and HP for video gaming. Further, a moderation effect was found such that high dispositional mindfulness appears to protect against internalizing an OP for video gaming. Finally, results from a latent profile generally supported the role dispositional mindfulness plays in reducing the severity of OP for video gaming. The implications for theory and positive video game engagement are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Mindfulness
• passion
• video games
• problem gaming
• dualistic model of passion
• gaming
• serious leisure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Declarations of interest

The authors indicate no conflicts of interest; An internal development grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that was awarded by McGill University.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by an internal development grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that was awarded by McGill University.

Notes on contributors

Devin J Mills

Devin J. Mills, PhD is a Postdoctoral Research  Associate at Rutgers University within the Center for Gambling Studies.  He applies social psychological frameworks in studying the internalization of both adaptive and maladaptive patterns of activity engagement.