The effects of passion and mindfulness on the intrinsic motivation of Japanese athletes

Abstract

Previous studies have pointed out both the positive and negative sides of passion in terms of influencing motivation in athletes; it is necessary to uncover factors predicting high intrinsic motivation among athletes. This study aims to characterize the relationships among harmonious and obsessive passion, mindfulness, and intrinsic motivation in competitive athletes. The participants in this study were 111 university athletes (88 males, 23 females, mean age = 19.65, SD = 1.03) who completed the Athlete Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Passion Scale, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. This study's findings showed that athletes with high levels of harmonious or obsessive passion reported high rates of intrinsic motivation toward sport activities. In addition, athletes with low levels of passion and high mindfulness scores demonstrated high intrinsic motivation scores. Furthermore, the results of structural equation modeling showed that harmonious passion was positively associated with intrinsic motivation, both directly and indirectly, through mindfulness; obsessive passion, however, was negatively associated with intrinsic motivation through mindfulness. These findings suggest that mindfulness, rather than passion, may function as an alternative factor enhancing intrinsic motivation in competitive athletes. Moreover, mindfulness mediates the relationship between passion and intrinsic motivation.