Passion Among Crossfit Enthusiasts: A Mixed Method Approach

Abstract

Passion has historically been broken down into two distinct types: harmonious passion (HP) and obsessive passion (OP; Vallerand et al., 2003). The type of passion that a person may possess depends on how that person controls the internalization of that passion into their identity. HP has typically been associated with adaptive outcomes, while OP has been typically associated with more rigid outcomes. Historically, passion within sport has primarily been studied through a quantitative lens. The current research study used a mixed-methods approach that aimed to explore the lived experiences of those who hold a high level of HP or OP for their passionate activity. The study began with the quantitative Passion Scale (Vallerand et al., 2003) that was completed by 72 CrossFit enthusiasts from Saskatchewan. From that questionnaire, a smaller sample was identified based on their results. While it was originally intended to identify a sample who measured as being highest in only one type of passion, while measuring lowest in the other type of passion, the participants who were highest in OP were also relatively high in HP. Eight participants took part in individual one-on-one interviews where the researcher was able to engage in dialogue exploring how each person believes CrossFit exists within their daily life. The interviews revealed that participants with high HP for CrossFit seemed to reflect previous literature that HP leads to positive outcomes. The interviews also revealed that the participants with highest OP for CrossFit in the sample seem to report similar experiences resulting in primarily adaptive outcomes, which is not reflective of previous literature or the dualistic model of passion. Although both groups occasionally experienced negative emotions in response to uncontrollable situations, they seem to experience mainly adaptive outcomes as a result of their CrossFit participation.