Investigating the “Flow” Experience: Key Conceptual and Operational IssuesĬsikszentmihalyi (1975) introduced the concept of “flow” 42 years ago in his groundbreaking book Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. Additional ways to achieve greater conceptual and operational consistency within the field are suggested. He suggests that more mundane instances of goal-directed engagement are better conceived and operationalized as variations in task involvement rather than variations in flow. After tracing the origins of these discrepancies, the author argues that, in the interest of conceptual intelligibility, flow should be conceptualized and operationalized exclusively as a discrete, highly enjoyable, “optimal” state of consciousness, and that this state should be clearly distinguished from the conditions proposed to elicit it. Three specific points of inconsistency are then highlighted: (1) inconsistences in operationalizing flow as a continuous versus discrete construct, (2) inconsistencies in operationalizing flow as inherently enjoyable (i.e., “autotelic”) or not, and (3) inconsistencies in operationalizing flow as dependent on versus distinct from the task characteristics proposed to elicit it (i.e., the conditions/antecedents). Across the 42 reviewed studies, flow was operationalized in 24 distinct ways. Flow operationalizations from papers published within the past 5 years are reviewed. In this conceptual analysis, it is argued that progress within the field has been impeded by a lack of consistency in how flow is operationalized, and that this inconsistency in part reflects an underlying confusion regarding what flow is. Nevertheless, advancement in understanding – beyond what Csikszentmihalyi uncovered during his initial breakthrough in 1975 – has been modest. The “flow” experience ( Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) has been the focus of a large body of empirical work spanning more than four decades. Department of Psychology, Istanbul Şehir University, Istanbul, Turkey.He does not display the academic arrogance, according to his interviewers. In person, he speaks with wit, clarity, erudition, and eloquence. He got many but unwanted distractions that took him away from his work.ġ5. As his book became more popular, he experienced less flow in life. He responds by saying happiness has a far more profound meaning than what most people understand.ġ4. He is called by journalists as a man with a happiness obsession. The ancient Zen master Dogen's teachings also sounded similar to Flow principles.ġ3. Flow is compared to Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Coach Jimmy Johnson said Flow helped him prepare the Dallas Cowboys for the Superbowl in 1993.ġ2. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair found Flow an interesting book. He is affiliated with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences where he is a Fellow, and with the National Academy of Education and the National Academy of Leisure Sciences.ġ1. His other son, Mark, is a professor of religion and philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.ġ0. ,His son Christopher Csikszentmihályi, is an artist and a college professor. One was a college student who was killed in a war in Budapest while the other did not survive the labor camps in Siberia when he was sent there by the Soviets.ĩ. He had two half-brothers who died when he was young. But he is not sure if it will lead to having a more complex vision of reality.Ĩ. He believes the internet allows easier communication of values and exchange of information. A community that shares a common interest are more liable to make commitments.ħ. His book The Evolving Self promotes using small social groups or cells to promote evolution. People are multimedia organisms who need to explore their different dimensions.Ħ. He advises creative people to recognize the importance of downtime and change. They cannot be easily influenced by internet marketers for example because they will either be irritated or ignore experiences that are not up to par.ĥ. He says people who are in the flow are more critical. It is like transforming a typical walk into a wild chase.Ĥ. He told IT experts that a good website helps site visitors have a good experience. It is not as easy as our ancestors did when teaching a kid how to hunt in a practical setting.ģ. He says it is a big challenge to teach kids abstract things like finance or physics. It is a passive experience and does not lead to flow.Ģ. Turning it on is the easiest thing they can do when they are bored. He says putting a TV in a child's bedroom does not help her have flow.
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