Using Implementation Intentions to Change Passion: The Role of Environmental Mastery and Basic Psychological Needs

The present research tested whether increasing people's ability to effectively manage multiple goal-pursuits would facilitate the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs and, in turn, promote harmonious (vs. obsessive) passion for an activity. Studies 1 and 2 provided cross-sectional and experimental evidence for the proposed model, respectively. Study 3 replicated Studies 1-2 using implementation intentions (i.e., if-then plans) to change people's passion for an extended period of time. Two weeks after implementing their if-then plan, participants reported greater ability to manage multiple goal-pursuits than participants who merely formulated a goal intention. In turn, people's ability to manage multiple goals led to more need-satisfying experiences, which resulted in greater harmonious passion and less need-frustrating experiences, which resulted in less obsessive passion.