Passion For Exercise Has Three Dimensions: Psychometric Evaluation Of The Passion Scale In A Danish Fitness Sample

Passion for exercise has been described by a dualistic model suggesting that passion can be harmonious or obsessive. Harmonious passion is in balance with other activities in life, while obsessive passion is compulsive and harmful. The 12-item Passion Scale was developed to identify these two dimensions of passion. The current study aimed to validate the scale in a Danish fitness sample and to examine the structure of the Passion Scale. We also explored the relationship between passion, exercise addiction, and exercise identity. Participants (n = 1255) from a Danish fitness company completed an online survey consisting of the Passion Scale, the Exercise Addiction Inventory, The Exercise Identity Scale, and sociodemographic variables (mean age 31 years, 80% female). The reliability and construct validity of the Passion Scale was good, but a confirmatory factor analysis indicated a three-factor structure comprising obsessive passion, and two dimensions of harmonious passion: (1) "the activity fits in with rest of my life" (harmony) and (2) "the activity gives me new experiences" (discovery). The three dimensions of passion may reflect a continuum of exercise engagement from commitment to obsession. We found that obsessive passion was strongly related to exercise addiction, exercise identity, sport injury, and poorer health.