BCI and Games: Playful, Experience-Oriented Learning by Vivid Feedback?
Chang S. Nam, Anton Nijholt, Fabien Lotte in Brain–Computer Interfaces Handbook, 2018
Flow is defined as a mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. This mental state is associated with complete absorption in what one is doing (Csikszentmihályi 1990). Immersion and the presence experience (“sense of being there”) in game-like environments (Witmer and Singer 1998) might play an important role for NF/BCI applications, because immersion and the sense of presence in virtual environments are generally considered as the propensity of users to respond to virtually generated sensory data as if they were real (Slater et al. 2009). In this context, Gruzelier et al. (2010) used a virtual theater auditorium for a sensorimotor rhythm NF in drama students. They compared the effects of a highly immersive 3D feedback scenario (CAVE-like system) with a less immersive 2D feedback (computer screen). The 3D feedback scenario led to the highest flow experience and NF learning was also improved in the 3D scenario compared to the 2D feedback condition.
What the Experts Have to Say
Eve Shapiro in Joy in Medicine?, 2020
How do I define joy in work? It’s an interesting question. I know I’ve experienced it clinically and in the intervention work we do. Csikszentmihalyi talks about the concept of flow. You know, you come in to do something and it’s so engrossing and so enjoyable that time passes so quickly you don’t even notice it. I used to have days as an anesthesiologist when it was so satisfying to go in and meet people and put in anesthetic blocks and deal with problems. I loved that early in my career. I got tired of it after a while, which was perhaps why I ended up where I ended up. But I would say the same is true for the work I do now. My joy in work now is going into organizations and spending time teaching people how to think about the issues we’re talking about; joy actually manifests itself when people come back to me and say, “Because of what I learned from you (or your group), what I do now, I can do better; and I like it more; and I think I deliver better care to patients.” This occurs reasonably frequently I’m pleased to say. But it certainly is rare enough that when it does occur, I realize that’s the reason I get up every day.
The therapist–client relationship
Rebecca L. Haller, Karen L. Kennedy, Christine L. Capra in The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy, 2019
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) observed how the concept of flow influences the positive quality of life experiences. Flow is defined as “complete absorption in what one is doing.” Flow is differentiated from control. Control represents judging an experience by whether it goes according to one’s plan, idea, or expectation. Flow represents total engagement with the present moment. If change arises in the moment, then the focus shifts to how to move with this change. Gardeners often experience flow when gardening if they are able to resist the desire to get everything done as quickly as possible. A horticultural therapist may also observe flow in group gardening activities. At the Horticultural Therapy Institute, students are given a group assignment to silently clear an area in preparation for spring. As their work unfolds they wordlessly become absorbed in their tasks and locate the flow that harmonizes their individual and collective efforts.
Flow mediates the relationship between problematic smartphone use and satisfaction with life among college students
Published in Journal of American College Health, 2023
Andrew D. Pearson, ba, Chelsie M. Young, phd, Faith Shank, ma, Clayton Neighbors, phd
Flow theory dealt, firstly, with intrinsic motivation, and the characteristics of autotelic activity, or activity that is rewarding in and of itself. The experience of flow tends to occur when high skill meets equally high challenge, absorbing the person fully in a task that provides immediate feedback about clear, short-term goals.42 The experience of flow has been characterized by nine features: challenge-skill balance, intense concentration, merging of action and awareness, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, loss of self-consciousness, sense of control, time distortion (time seems to pass by quickly or, in some cases, occur in slow motion), and intrinsic reward.41 The subjective state of flow is inherently fragile, and can be illustrated on a circular continuum, between anxiety and arousal on one side, control and relaxation on the other, with apathy sitting opposite flow on the continuum.43
Understanding work enjoyment among older workers: The significance of flexible work options and age discrimination in the workplace
Published in Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 2018
Eunhee Choi, Javier Ospina, Michael F. Steger, Rebecca Orsi
Since no theoretical or empirical research currently exists to our knowledge as to what spurs workplace enjoyment among older employees, this study drew from the concept of flow from Organizational Psychology. Flow is a psychological state in which an individual is deeply focused on a certain activity (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) often observed in leisure and sports, but also in workplaces. Of particular relevance to this study is one of the components of flow, enjoyment, which refers to a sense of happiness that conveys a positive judgment about the quality of one’s working life (Veenhoven, 1984) as well as a sense of pleasure derived from one’s work (Spence & Robbins, 1992). This study adopted this as a conceptual definition for work enjoyment and examined it in the context of older workers.
The Development and Validation of the Autotelic Personality Questionnaire
Published in Journal of Personality Assessment, 2020
Dwight C. K. Tse, Vienne Wing-yan Lau, Rachael Perlman, Michael McLaughlin
Flow is a type of experience characterized by complete concentration, heightened sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, merging of action and awareness, and distortion of time perception (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, 1997). Not only is flow a rewarding experience; prolonged engagement in flow activities also enhances well-being, personal growth, and performance in a wide variety of domains (e.g., academic performance, sports performance; Landhäuszer & Keller, 2012; Shernoff, Csikszentmihalyi, Schneider, & Shernoff, 2003). Csikszentmihalyi and Csikszentmihalyi (1988) posited that individuals who can enter flow easily possess the ability to concentrate effortlessly, coupled with a heightened ability to transform boring or threatening situations into opportunities to engage with life. They coined the term autotelic personality to refer to the collection of attributes that facilitate individuals’ experience of flow. A highly autotelic individual can, therefore, experience flow often in everyday activities (Ullén et al., 2012). The two most commonly recognized models of autotelic personality are the metaskills model (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2002) and the receptive–active model (Baumann, 2012; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1993).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Attention
- Attentional Control
- Awareness
- Positive Psychology
- Mental State
- Occupational Therapy
- Hyperfocus
- Self-Consciousness
- Time Perception
- Reward System