Ben Schellenberg, PhD

Biography

Dr. Schellenberg’s research focuses on people’s favourite activities. Specifically, he is interested in understanding how people can engage in their favourite activities in a way that produces the most benefits (e.g., high levels of performance and well-being), while avoiding potential costs (e.g., conflict, burnout). He has focused most extensively on the construct of passion, and has examined how people’s experiences are affected by the extent to which their passion is harmonious and obsessive. Other topics that he is studying include savouring, self-compassion, coping, and perfectionism. He conducts research with various populations, including athletes, sports fans, exercisers, students, and gamblers.

Research areas

  • Sport and Exercise Psychology
  • Social and Personality Psychology
  • Health Psychology

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship (Psychology), University of Ottawa (2018)
  • PhD (Psychology), University of Manitoba (2015)
  • M.A. (Kinesiology), University of British Columbia (2011)
  • B.A. (Hons.) (Psychology), University of Winnipeg (2008)

Courses

  • Physical Activity, Health and Wellness (KPER 1200)
  • Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (KPER 2540)
  • Social Psychology of Leisure (REC 3180)

Publications

Gaudreau, P., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Gareau, A., Kljajic, K., & Manoni-Millar, S. (in press). Because excellencism can be more than good enough: On the need to distinguish the pursuit of excellence and perfection. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Kljajic, K., Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Gaudreau, P. (2022). Why do students procrastinate more in some courses than in others and what happens next? Expanding the multilevel perspective on procrastination. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 786249. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.786249

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Gaudreau, P., & Bailis, D. S. (2022). Lay theories of obsessive passion and performance: It all depends on the bottom line. Personality and Individual Differences, 190, 111529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111528. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/3c6zm

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Verner-Filion, J., & Gaudreau, P. (2022). Savoring sport: Connections with athlete passion and burnout. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 16, 23-41. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2021-0031. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/6pj2n

Gaudreau, P., Boileau, L., & Schellenberg, B. J. I. (2021). Peur de l'échec à l'école et dans les sports: Apport du modèle de l'excellencisme et du perfectionnisme [Fear of failure in sport and school: Contribution of the model of excellencism and perfectionism]. Revue Québécoise de Psychologie, 42, 173-194.

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Verner-Filion, J., & Gaudreau, P., Mbabaali, S. (2021). The two dimensions of passion for sport: A new look using a quadripartite approach. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 43, 459-476. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2021-0048. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/u42yr

Bailis, D. S., Brais, N. J. J. R., Single, A. N., & Schellenberg, B. J. I. (2021). Self-compassion buffers impaired decision-making by potential problem gamblers in a casino setting. Journal of Gambling Studies, 37, 269-282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-020-09993-8

Holding, A., Verner-Filion, J., Lalande, D., Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Vallerand, R. J. (2021). The roles of need satisfaction and passion in behavioral addiction: The case of video gaming and gambling. Motivation Science, 7, 345-355. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000241

Kullman, S. M, Semenchuk, B. N., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Ceccarelli, L., & Strachan, S. M. (2021). Adjusting identities when times change: The role of self-compassion. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 43, 410-418. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0342

Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Bailis, D. S. (2021). More questions about multiple passions: Who has them, how many do people have, and the relationship between polyamorous passion and well-being. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22, 3299-3320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00369-2. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/j2eq5

Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Gaudreau, P. (2021). An inch away from being mentally tough: Performance bias in ratings of mental toughness. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 10, 59-70. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000210. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/rphj9.

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Mosewich, A. D., Bailis, D. S., Gaudreau, P., & Verner-Filion, J. (2021). When self-compassion loses its luster: Ratings of self-compassionate and self-critical responding among passionate students. The Journal of Experimental Education, 89, 291-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2019.1693946 Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/vk7n3

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Sabiston, C. M., Vallerand, R. J., & Gaudreau, P. (2021). Passion among breast cancer survivors: A 12-month prospective study. Journal of Health Psychology, 26, 1109-1114. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105319860890

Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Verner-Filion, J. (2021). Fuelled by passion: Obsessive passion amplifies positive and negative feelings throughout a hockey playoff series. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 43, 353-356. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0259. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/2njc4

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Verner-Filion, J., Quach, A., & Bailis, D. S. (2021). Basketball jones: Fan passion, motives, and reactions to the suspension of the National Basketball Association season due to COVID-19. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 54, 101885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101885. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/32msf

Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Gaudreau, P. (2020). Savoring and dampening with passion: How passionate people respond when good things happen. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 921-941. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00114-w. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/dwazk

Schellenberg, B. J. I., Verner-Filion, J., & Gaudreau, P. (2020). We are the champions, but how do we respond? Savoring and dampening in response to championship victories among passionate sports fans. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 42, 261-264.  https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2019-0271. Preprint is publicly available at https://psyarxiv.com/3rx84

Verner-Filion, J., Schellenberg, B. J. I., Holding, A. S., & Koestner, R. (2020). Passion and grit in the pursuit of long-term personal goals in college students. Learning and Individual Differences, 83-84, 101939. https://doi.org/ghht2w

Schellenberg, B. J. I., & Bailis, D. S. (2019). Passionately motivated reasoning: Biased processing of passion-threatening messages. Journal of Personality, 87, 518-531. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12412

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