Self-transcendence through the lens of ontological addiction: correlates of prosociality, competitiveness and pro-nature behavior
Paul Barrows, William van Gordon, Miles Richardson
Current Psychology September 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-024-06403-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 287 |
| Population | UK adult participants |
| Measures | Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS) |
| Topics | Addiction |
| Key findings | Ontological addiction correlated positively with competitiveness and with anxiety and depression, and competitiveness correlated negatively with prosociality and pro-nature behavior. Contrary to expectation, ontological addiction showed no negative correlation with prosociality or pro-nature behavior, which the authors argue raises questions about treating ontological addiction as the conceptual antithesis of self-transcendence or about whether existing prosociality and pro-nature measures capture selfish motivations. |
Abstract
AbstractSelf-transcendence and the associated decrease in ego-centeredness are understood to foster altruistic and positive behaviors that promote prosociality and pro-environmental actions. However, the lack of an agreed valid and reliable measure of self-transcendence has posed difficulties in examining this subject. The main aim of this study was to use the recently developed Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS), which assesses dysfunctional ego-centeredness as an inhibiter of self-transcendent change, as a proxy measure to examine whether self-transcendence is indeed related to such “selfless” prosocial and pro-nature behaviors. Secondary aims were to examine ontological addiction (OA) and these behaviors in relation to competitiveness and ego-driven manifestations of prosociality. These relationships were examined via self-report measures in a cross-sectional cohort study of 287 UK adult participants. Findings revealed associations with competitiveness that broadly reflect its association with ego-centeredness through significant correlations with OA, and significant negative correlations with both prosociality and pro-nature behavior. They also supported earlier findings of a significant relationship between OA and measures of anxiety and depression. However, the expected negative correlations between OA and both prosociality and pro-nature behavior were not evidenced, which raises questions regarding the notion of OA as a conceptual antithesis of self-transcendence and/or whether measures of pro-sociality and pro-nature behavior adequately account for “selfish” or “impure” motivations that may underly these behaviors. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| The users of Novel Psychoactive Substances: Online survey about their characteristics, attitudes and motivations International users of novel psychoactive substances recruited via bluelight.org | 2016 | Cross-sectional online survey | n = 619 |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Client and counselor attitudes toward the use of medications for treatment of opioid dependence. Counselors and clients from outpatient, methadone, and residential drug treatment programs | 2007 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,459 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- On the wings of Icarus - the need for transcendence in addictive diseases. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2025
- French Translation and Validation of the Ontological Addiction Scale (OAS). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health March 27, 2025
- How Practice Differences Shape Participant Experience in Second-Generation Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study of Non-Buddhist University Students Mindfulness October 9, 2026
- A Comparison of the Effects of Ethics- Versus Wisdom-Based Mindfulness Practices on Prosocial Behaviour Mindfulness 2025
Cites 14
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- Self-Transcendence: Conceptualization and Measurement The International Journal of Aging and Human Development March 1, 2005
- Awe motivates authentic-self pursuit via self-transcendence: Implications for prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology December 2, 2021
- Lifetime experience with (classic) psychedelics predicts pro-environmental behavior through an increase in nature relatedness Journal of Psychopharmacology June 20, 2017
- Panpsychism and Priority Cosmopsychism Oxford University Press eBooks October 20, 2016
and 9 more in the library