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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD Quality of Life Research Center Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA CA
COPYRIGHT © 2006 BY MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DEDESSCRCRIPIPTTION OION OFF TH THEE FFLLOOW W EEXXPPEERIRIEENCNCEE WWHEHEN N WWRITRITING PING POEOETTRRYY
“You're right in the work, you lose your sense of time, you're completely enraptured, you're completely caught up in what you're doing…. there's no future or past, it's just an extended present in which you're making meaning…”
Poet Mark Strand, 1991 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOW EXPERIENCE WHEN DOING RESEARCHEARCH “To go into a dark room and look through the microscope and see these glowing objects which may be moving around or may be stationary, and in different colors – it's a video game, if you will. It's just beautiful…I can sit in front of a microscope for three or four Cell biologist hours at a time, just looking at Joseph G. Gall (1991) the material and analyzing it….I can be very disconcerting to other people in the degree to which I can concentrate on something and not pay too much attention to what's going on around me.” 2 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
3 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“Concentration is like breathing: you never think of it. The roof could fall in and, if it missed you, you would be unaware of it.”
Chess player (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975)
4 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge
5 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“You’re so involved in what you’re doing, you aren’t thinking about yourself as separate from the immediate activity. You’re no longer a participant observer, only a participant. You’re moving in harmony with something else you’re part of.”
Rock climber (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975)
6 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge.
– There is freedom from worry about failure.
7 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“You feel like…there’s nothing that will be able to stop you or get in your way. And you’re ready to tackle anything, and you don’t fear any possibility happening, and it’s just exhilarating.”
Cyclist (Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1999) 8 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge.
– There is freedom from worry about failure.
– Selfconsciousness disappears.
9 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“You are not aware of the body except your hands….not aware of self or personal problems….If involved, you are not aware of aching feet, not aware of self.”
Surgeon (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975)
10 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge.
– There is freedom from worry about failure.
– Selfconsciousness disappears.
– The sense of time becomes distorted.
11 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“Two things happen…. After it’s passed, [time] seems to have passed really fast. I see that it’s one o’clock in the morning and I say, ‘Ahha, just a few minutes ago it was eight o’clock.’ But then while I’m dancing…it seems like it’s been much longer than it really was.”
Social dancer (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) 12 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge.
– There is freedom from worry about failure.
– Selfconsciousness disappears.
– The sense of time becomes distorted.
– The experience become its own reward autotelic.
13 DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
“Do it for the satisfaction it gives….This is what I tell my students. Don’t expect to make money, don’t expect fame or a pat on the back, don’t expect a damn thing. Do it because you love it.” Composer (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) 14 TTO SO SUMUMMAMARIRIZZEE: : DIMEDIMENSNSIONIONSS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOWW EX EXPPEERIERIENCNCEE
– Attention is focused on a limited stimulus field. There is full concentration, complete involvement.
– Action and awareness merge.
– There is freedom from worry about failure.
– Selfconsciousness disappears.
– The sense of time becomes distorted.
– The experience become its own reward autotelic.
…WHAT CONDITIONS FOSTER FLOW?
15 COCONDNDITIOITIONSNS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOW W EEXXPPEERIRIEENCNCEE
1. There are clear goals every step of the way.
16 “It’s selfcatalyzing…the moves create each other. The move you’re planning to do is also the genesis of the move you’re going to do after you’ve done that one…”
Rock climber (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975)
17 COCONDNDITIOITIONSNS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOW W EEXXPPEERIRIEENCNCEE
1. There are clear goals every step of the way.
2. There is immediate feedback to one's action.
18 “My reward is hearing what I’ve done, and unlike most composers, I can hear it immediately. That’s why I keep these expensive gentlemen with me.” Duke Ellington 19 COCONDNDITIOITIONSNS O OFF TH THEE FL FLOOW W EEXXPPEERIRIEENCNCEE
1. There are clear goals every step of the way.
2. There is immediate feedback to one's action.
3. There is a balance between challenges and skills.
20
HIGH ANXIETY
s FLOW
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BOREDOM
HIGH Skills 21 High HIGH ANXIETY
D E s
e FLOW
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A B BOREDOM
L o w H I g h Skills 22 high
Arousal Anxiety
S Flow
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E Worry
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A Control
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C Apathy Relaxation Boredom
low SKILLS high 23 HIGH
New Tasks, Favorite activity, Work Stress, Learning Hobby, Work, Love
Sudden Threats Life
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h Work Hassles C
Eating, Loneliness, Work, Reading, TV Viewing Household Conversation Chores
LOW Skills HIGH 24 25 SomeSome Ph Phyyssioiolologgiiccaall CCoorrrreellaatetess oof f FFllooww WWhhililee pplaylayiningg ththee PianoPiano
• Zygomatic Major Muscle activity (Smiling) • Respiratory Depth • Heart Period (negative) • Blood Pressure (negative)
From: De Marzano, Theorell, Harmat, & Ullen (In Press) The Psychophysiology of Flow, Emotion.
26 Optimal experience and apathy during work and study College 1.5
1
0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5 Opt.exp. (N=19) Apathy (N=15)
Concentration Control Happiness Involvement Wish doing the activity Goals
From A. Delle Fave, & F. Massimini. European Psychologist 2005 27 Optimal experience and apathy during work and study High School Italy 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Opt.exp. (N=25) Apathy (N=20) Concentration Control Happiness Involvement Wish doing the activity Goals
From A. Delle Fave, & F. Massimini. European Psychologist 2005 28 Optimal experience and apathy during work and study High School Nepal 0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8 Opt.exp. (N=28) Apathy (N=23) Concentration Control Happiness Involvement Wish doing the activity Goals
From A. Delle Fave, & F. Massimini. European Psychologist 2005 29 Optimal experience and apathy during work and study Disablement 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 Opt.exp. (N=14) Apathy (N=10) Concentration Control Happiness Involvement Wish doing the activity Goals
From A. Delle Fave, & F. Massimini. European Psychologist 2005 30 31 32 33 BooBookkss b byy Dr Dr. . CsCsiikksszzenenttmmiihahallyyii
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal • Psychological Studies of Flow Experience Consciousness
• Creativity • Good Business: Leadership Flow and the Making of Meaning • Flow: The Classic Work on How to Achieve Happiness • Beyond Boredom and Anxiety: Experiencing Flow in Work and • Finding Flow: The Psychology of Play Engagement with Everyday Life
• The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium