Progress as a pathway to the peak experience of flow
Hairong Lu, Dimitri Van der Linden, Arnold B Bakker
PsyArXiv June 14, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/stbh6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-design experiment |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Undergraduate students |
| Intervention | Progress niche intervention |
| Topics | Mystical experience |
| Key findings | Perceived flow aligned closely with perceived progress niche, and both declined over time during the task. The progress niche intervention significantly affected experienced flow and performance, preventing further decline and facilitating peak performance. Objective progress and perceived progress niche predicted flow dynamics, with objective progress mediating the relationship between perceived progress niche and flow. |
Abstract
The flow experience, a psychological state reflecting optimal engagement, emerges from intrinsically motivated behavior and is linked with enhanced performance and well-being. In this study, we propose and examine factors influencing flow dynamics during tasks execution, emphasizing the centrality of progress in achieving flow. Conducting a mixed-design experiment with a progress niche intervention among eighty-four undergraduate students, we find that perceived flow aligns closely with perceived progress niche, both declining over time during the task. Notably, the progress niche intervention significantly impacts experienced flow and performance, preventing further decline and facilitating peak performance. Furthermore, flow dynamics are predicted by objective progress and the perceived progress niche, with objective progress mediating the relationship between the perceived progress niche and flow. These findings underscore the profound influence of progress dynamics on intrinsically motivated behavior and offer both theoretical insights and practical implications for fostering flow in various contexts.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on mystical experience, most cited first.