Changes in pupil dilation and P300 amplitude indicate the possible involvement of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in psychological flow.
Scientific Reports February 2, 2023 Hairong Lu, Dimitri Van der Linden, Arnold B Bakker
Psychological flow, a state of full task immersion, is positively related to activity in the phasic locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which helps decide whether to engage or disengage from an activity. In 36 participants performing a gamified n-back task at varying difficulty levels (0, 1, 2, and 3 back), subjective flow, pupil dilation, and EEG P300 amplitude all showed inverted U-shaped relationships with increasing task difficulty. A positive linear relationship emerged between flow and pupil dilation, but not with P300, suggesting the LC-NE system is involved in the peak experience of flow.