Passion for a Leisure Activity, Presence of Meaning, and Search for Meaning: The Mediating Role of Emotion

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of having a passion for a leisure activity on the presence of meaning and the search for meaning in college students’ lives. A path analysis of the results from 322 Chinese university students showed that positive emotions experienced during leisure activities partially mediated the relationship between harmonious passion and the presence of meaning. Negative emotion fully mediated obsessive passion and the presence of meaning as well as obsessive passion and the search for meaning. Obsessive passion was not associated with positive emotion. Implications for the dualistic model of passion, the presence of meaning, and the search for meaning in college students are discussed.