Flow Theory Study

Flow Theory Study

The study aimed to discuss flow experience by examining individuals with health and active lifestyle such as athletes, and performing artists, among others. The authors focused on proving the hypothesis that individuals with a happy and active lifestyle are more likely to report flow experience. The study was based on the theory of flow, which posits that one must be actively engaged in activities, set clear goals, and progress towards achieving the goals. According to the theory, the task at hand must have clear and immediate feedback (Thomson & Jaque, 2016). The study compared the flow experience of performing athletes and healthy participants. For the first experiment, the researchers used four variables; adverse childhood experiences, dispositional global flow, difficulty in emotional regulations, and coping strategies under stress. The researchers used observational study, where the participants continued with their daily lives, engaging in activities such as athletics, performing arts, and other activities that were considered healthy to a normal person.

The theory that informed the hypothesis of the study is the flow theory. Flow theory focuses on the optimal psychological state the individual experience when they engage in activities that are appropriate and challenging. The activities must result in a high level of concentration to focus on the task. The concentration and focus on the person lead to deeper learning and personal satisfaction. As mentioned above, the role of the challenging activity is to make the person concentrate on the task and experience the personal satisfaction of achieving their personal goals.

Studies have shown that flow experience occurs when one engages in activities where they experience their best effortlessly. According to Bergamin (2017)., people that perform their best in activities that they like often use less energy, require little or no intrinsic motivation, and rewards for their work. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi began to study the behavior of painters, whom he observed completely immersed in the process of painting, enjoying it (Carl, 1994). However, after they had finished doing the painting, he lost interest in the work. The researcher’s observation led to more research studies before he noted that the painter lost interest in the work because he got satisfied and needed more challenging tasks. This is to say that flow theory posits that people often look for more challenging and self-gratifying jobs when they engage in more tasking activities.

Another study that sheds light on the concept of flow theory was conducted by Edward Deci. According to the study, people lost interest in the jobs or activities they enjoyed faster than if they were not rewarded at all. According to Deci, when people are rewarded for what they enjoyed, they start to think and entertain the thought that their activities are controlled by external forces, as opposed to the intrinsic motivation to achieve their best (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) In this regard, they tend to lose interest in the activities and start to pursue what interests them without any reward systems attached to it.

Based on these two articles, it is prudent to mention that flow theory is based on the assumption that people enjoy what they do without any form of motivation. Whenever motivation is used, they tend to lose interest in the activity because consciously associate the results of the achievement with the reward, which demotivates them. Accordingly, the studies demonstrate people will do what they want to do, regardless of the external forces depending on the priorities they have set in life. The organization of the thoughts, according to flow theory, is that one gets immediate gratifications when they initiate activities and do their best to achieve their personal goals.

References

Bergamin, J. A. (2017). Being-in-the-flow: expert coping as beyond both thought and automaticity. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 16(3), 403-424.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York (HarperPerennial) 1990.

Thomson, P., & Jaque, S. (2016). Exquisite Moments: Achieving Optimal Flow in Three Activity-Based Groups Regardless of Early-Childhood Adversity. American Journal of Play, 8(3), 345-361.