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Optimal Experience and Optimal Identity: A Multinational Examination at the Personal Identity Level

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Flow Experience

Abstract

The present chapter provides evidence for the association between flow and identity via quantitative examinations based on Eudaimonistic identity theory, where an individual is seen to recognize elements of his or her true self, including interests, talents, and abilities, through participating in a range of personally salient (identity-related) and therein self-defining activities. Specifically, salient characteristics of activity experiences, i.e., feelings of personal expressiveness and flow, are seen to facilitate an individual’s personal growth in the process of solidifying self-definition. On these bases, a relationship between flow experience and personal identity strength is hypothesized and confirmed via a multinational investigation, in which identity consolidation is observed to be facilitated through the participation in self-defining activities that are platforms to optimal experience. In sum, the present investigation makes a cohesive case for the relationship between subjective experiences of flow and sense of self-identification. Finally, further and ongoing research directions are outlined.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We conducted preliminary analyses to investigate possible age or gender difference on the subjective experience of both flow and personal expressiveness. Results obtained from Independent sample t test did not find any significant gender difference on flow (male: M = 2.87, S = .96 vs. female: M = 2.67 SD = .81), t(107) = 1.16, p > .05), or on personal expressiveness (male: M = 2.81, SD = 1.09 vs. female: M = 2.42 SD = .91), t(107) = 2.03, p > .05). Results from univariate ANOVAs indicated that age does not affect either flow (M = 2.77, SD = .89, F = .67, p > .05), or personal expressiveness (M = 2.61, SD = 1.01, F = .49, p > .05). Thus both gender and age groups were combined for further manipulation check and correlational tests.

  2. 2.

    A set of indices for CFA data analytic technique used in present investigation (and relative cut-off values for acceptable fit) has been considered (see Hu and Bentler 1999). Such indices are: the significance value with a cut off value of .05, the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) with a cut-off value of .08 (see Browne and Cudeck 1993), and finally the chi-square/df ratio falling below 3 (Carmine and McIver 1981).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Psicologia dei Processi di Sviluppo e Socializzazione, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy

    Yanhui Mao & Marino Bonaiuto

  2. Department of Early Childhood Education, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Yanhui Mao

  3. Department of Psychology, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, USA

    Scott Roberts

  4. Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca in Psicologia Ambientale (CIRPA), Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy

    Marino Bonaiuto

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  1. Yanhui Mao
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  2. Scott Roberts
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Correspondence to Yanhui Mao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    László Harmat

  2. Department of Education, University of Aarhus, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Frans Ørsted Andersen

  3. Department of Education, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    Fredrik Ullén

  4. School of Health Professionals, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom

    Jon Wright

  5. School of Health Sciences, University of Brighton, East Bourne, East Sussex, United Kingdom

    Gaynor Sadlo

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Mao, Y., Roberts, S., Bonaiuto, M. (2016). Optimal Experience and Optimal Identity: A Multinational Examination at the Personal Identity Level. In: Harmat, L., Ørsted Andersen, F., Ullén, F., Wright, J., Sadlo, G. (eds) Flow Experience. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28634-1_18

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