AUTHOR=Zhang Shu-e , Ge Si-ao , Tian Jing , Li Qing-lin , Wang Ming-si , Wang Xiao-he , Zhang Meng , Zhao Ji-yang , Yang Li-bin , Cao De-pin , Sun Tao 

TITLE=A Cross-Sectional Study of Individual Learning Passion in Medical Education: Understanding Self-Development in Positive Psychology

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.758002

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.758002

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Background: Boosting the individual learning passion of medical students is a novel approach to improve their academic performance. It facilitates the medical education reform, motivating both policymakers and educators to focus on the function of positive psychology in the career development of medical students. Therefore, the principal aims of this study were as follows: (1) to assess the status of two types of learning passion among Chinese medical students; (2) to identify the cluster of interrelationships between self-esteem, psychological capital (PsyCap), professional identity, and two types of learning passion; and (3) to clarify the functional mechanism among these variables. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from April to June 2016 in China. A total of 1,218 valid questionnaires (effective completion rate: 67.93%) were collected from four medical schools. Results: Self-esteem significantly and positively influenced medical students’ PsyCap (β=0.637, P<0.001) and two types of learning passion, including harmonious learning passion (β=0.589, P<0.001) and obsessive learning passion (β=0.436, P<0.001). PsyCap fully mediated the relationship (β=0.578, P<0.001) between self-esteem and harmonious learning passion positively, whereas it suppressed the relationship (β=0.490, P<0.001) between self-esteem and obsessive learning passion. Further, professional identity significantly moderated the correlation between PsyCap and harmonious learning passion (β=0.105, P<0.001), rather than obsessive learning passion (P＞0.001). Conclusions: Two types of learning passion of medical students are positively influenced by self-esteem and PsyCap. Medical students with high-level self-esteem should possess strong PsyCap, which augments their harmonious as well as obsessive learning passion. Moreover, the positive effect of medical students’ PsyCap on harmonious learning passion is more notable among those with a lower professional identity. Finally, this study argues that strengths-based interventions of positive psychology are a beneficial choice for future reforms in the domain of medical education.