Flow States and Associated Changes in Spatial and Temporal Processing
Frontiers in Psychology March 12, 2020 Scott Sinnett, Joshua Jäger, Sarah Morgana Singer et al.
People often report sharper perception during peak performance, but it is unclear whether this reflects real changes in sensory processing or memory bias. This study tested 27 athletes and musicians on a temporal order judgement task before and after a sports or music performance over three sessions. Participants rated their flow experience—a state of high focus, low distractibility, altered time sense, and enjoyment. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that higher subjective flow during performance was associated with better post-performance task accuracy compared to pre-performance. The findings suggest flow may modulate temporal processing and spatial attention, offering a more complete account of perception during high-level performance.