Study addiction versus obsessive passion: Individual vulnerabilities and problematic behaviours among young musicians

Both obsessive passion (OP) related to learning, from the Dualistic Model of Passion, and study addiction share the core component of internal compulsion to study. However, to date, no theoretical analyses or empirical data have elucidated their similarities and differences. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between OP and study addiction in the context of music academy students. Investigating this relationship is crucial for understanding how passion and study addiction influence students’ educational and psychological experiences, especially in specialized fields such as music. In this domain, where the pressure for artistic achievements is particularly intense, understanding the impact of OP and harmonious passion and study addiction can provide valuable insights for psychological and educational practice. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 213 music academy students in Poland. The results revealed that OP and study addiction were relatively weakly associated, and only study addiction was correlated with stress, general health, sleep quality and examination stress. Mediation models in which music performance anxiety (MPA) was a mediator revealed that study addiction had the most consistent negative effects on well-being, which were partially mediated by high MPA. This is the first study to show that OP and study addiction are different constructs and that study addiction is clearly a pathological phenomenon that is more consistently and strongly associated with impaired functioning than OP is. The implications for prevention and intervention programmes are discussed.