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Flow and Its Affective, Cognitive, and Performance-Related Consequences

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Advances in Flow Research

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the specific autotelic quality and the affective, cognitive, and performance-related consequences of the flow experience. Research findings documenting a positive relationship between skills–demands compatibility (the central precondition of flow experiences) and components of an autotelic experience (intrinsic motivation, enjoyment, and involvement) are discussed. Besides, possible consequences of flow experiences are addressed. A review of currently available findings indicates that flow may foster positive affect and even lead to enhanced performance. Unfortunately, the findings, which are mostly correlational in nature, do not provide conclusive evidence regarding the consequences related to flow experiences—reflecting the fact that the empirical analysis of flow experiences is quite complex. Important intricacies of flow research and theorizing and their implications are discussed—specifically, the lack of methods to test for causal effects of flow experiences and the tendency to equate flow experience with skills–demands compatibility.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Csikszentmihalyi and others usually refer to “challenges” instead of “demands.” Also, in most flow studies, “challenges” are measured. However, the use of the term “challenge” in the conceptualization and measurement of skills–demands compatibility is problematic because from the viewpoint of motivational psychology, challenges occur as a consequence of compatibility between demands of the situation and the individual’s skills (cf. Rheinberg 2008). Furthermore, it should be noted that the term “challenge” typically implies the notion that an individual perceives the relevant situation as stimulating, whereas the term “demands” does not include an implication regarding the individual’s experiential state. Accordingly, we argue that to put challenges in relation to skills (a common praxis in flow research) is conceptually not particularly meaningful. Therefore, we prefer the term “demands” and will use it in the course of the chapter.

  2. 2.

    However, as persistence in a task is often related to ego-involvement rather than previous enjoyment (e.g., Ryan et al. 1991), it is usually used in combination with self-report measures and should not be understood as a replacement of them.

  3. 3.

    Inconsistencies in ESM studies could also be attributed to the measurement of “challenges” instead of “demands.” This especially holds for the cross-cultural study by Moneta (2004 b) as the term “challenge” may be interpreted differently in different cultures.

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  1. Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    Anne Landhäußer & Johannes Keller

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  1. Anne Landhäußer
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Correspondence to Anne Landhäußer .

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    Stefan Engeser

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Landhäußer, A., Keller, J. (2012). Flow and Its Affective, Cognitive, and Performance-Related Consequences. In: Engeser, S. (eds) Advances in Flow Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2359-1_4

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