Advances in Flow Research
Language: English
Pages: 234
ISBN: 1461423589
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The concept of Flow was first explained by Csikszentmihalyi (1975), described as an “optimal experience,” he noted that artists were entirely caught up in their projects, working feverishly to finish them and then lose all interest in their work after completion. The incentive lies in the act of creativity itself. The person feels optimally challenged while totally immersed in the activity. At the heart of flow research is the motivational aspect of this experience. Flow motivates people to carry out certain activities repeatedly, seeking a challenge in the act and looking to improve their skills and abilities. In this book, this motivational aspect will be imbedded in and related to other theories of (intrinsic) motivation and empirical work on flow and performance. The book provides a review of the current flow research, with a focus on rigorous analysis on methodology. The author takes the time to present methodological aspects in flow research to qualify empirical work. In addition, this volume presents neuropsychological considerations and empirical correlates of flow experiences. The work also describes various theoretical integrations of the different paths being taken within the field of flow research. It presents what has been learned since the beginning of flow research, what is still open, and how the mission to understand and foster flow experience research should continue.
antecedents and facets of flow (see next study question) and has too simple a structure to account for the complexity of the relationships between antecedents of flow and flow itself. Yet, these limitations could be overcome in future developments of the componential scales (see subsection “Strengths and Weaknesses” in “The Componential Approach: Capturing Flow as a Multidimensional State-Trait Variable” of this chapter). 2 On the Measurement and Conceptualization of Flow 49 • What is the key
value individuals perceive in the execution of skill-related activities. In addressing this question, we refer to the general notion of regulatory compatibility (cf. Keller and Bless 2008) defined as the compatibility of person characteristics (e.g., habitual goal orientation, personal needs or standards) and structural settings or environmental characteristics (e.g., task framing, availability of distinct means, salience of specific outcomes or incentives). That is, regulatory compatibility can
Abuhamdeh 65 87 109 7 The Dark Side of the Moon ................................................................... Julia Schüler 123 8 Psychophysiological Correlates of Flow-Experience .......................... Corinna Peifer 139 xv xvi Contents 9 Autotelic Personality.............................................................................. Nicola Baumann 165 10 Theoretical Integration and Future Lines of Flow Research ............. Stefan Engeser 187 Appendix: Flow
compared to women low in the explicit affiliation motive. The experiences of men did not differ a great deal depending on whether they were high or low in the affiliation motive. Although all other variables from the Experience Sampling Form were reported, challenge and skills were not reported in the study, or were possibly not assessed. Hence, the balance of challenge and skills does not seem to be primarily relevant in affiliative situations, and therefore underlines our theoretical framework
personality is a conjunction of receptive (e.g., openness) and active qualities (e.g., engagement and persistence). The openness to detect and become interested in new challenges is receptive yet not entirely passive. It also involves active engagement and persistence in highly challenging activities. However, the engagement is not a mean to a specific goal. Csikszentmihalyi (1997) summarized these qualities as a capacity for “disinterested interest.” The term “disinterested” emphasizes a focus