The dualistic model of passion proposes two distinct types of passion, obsessive and harmonious, that predict less and more adaptive outcomes, respectively. Two studies tested the hypothesis that individuals with an obsessive passion for an activity (being associated with an insecure sense of self) benefit more from self-enhancement in terms of life satisfaction. Study 1 (N = 119) showed that the more participants endorsed an obsessive passion, the stronger the association was between self-enhancement within the activity and life satisfaction. Harmonious passion was unrelated to this association. Study 2 (N = 318) replicated these findings with an experimental design. The results establish passion as a moderator of the association between self-enhancement and life satisfaction.
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Lafrenière et al. (2012) studied this question.