In the Zone: The Rundown on Flow
Cook: Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. Ingredient → The Flow State
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
It’s been repeated so many times that it’s become practically meaningless. However, like many tired figures of speech, there is a kernel of truth.
Haven’t you ever gotten so engrossed in a book that you’ve lost track of time? Or been so engaged in conversation that your surroundings begin to fade away? There are plenty of slang terms to describe this feeling (“the zone,” “the groove”). Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi studied this phenomena, giving it a term “Flow” and helping interactive designers think about how this concept can influence an interactive media project. Let’s take a closer look.
Meet Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
His theory seems simple; his name is not.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi was born September 29, 1934 in what is now Croatia. When he was 22 years-of-age he emigrated to the United states to study at the University of Chicago, receiving a Ph.D in psychology. Currently he is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at the Claremont Graduate University, and he has formerly served administrative roles at The University of Chicago and Lake Forest College.
A search on Csíkszentmihályi’s name reveals the work of a very prolific thinker, writer and observer of people; with papers covering a range of topics generally in the field of psychology.
So… what is flow, and why should you care?
Csíkszentmihályi’s interest in what would become flow states is said to have been inspired by the state of pure concentration that painters enter into while working on a piece.
These artists, like all other individuals, were capable of becoming so absorbed in their respective tasks that they would entirely disregard all extraneous influence, including their biological necessities. A simpler example: if you’ve ever ignored your need to use the restroom while playing an intense video game, you might know about the flow state. Pun fully intended.
Although most people know when they’ve entered this “mode”, Csíkszentmihályi had identified several characteristics to determine what does or doesn’t constitute a flow state.
- Intense focus on task
- Perception and conscious action align, making actions more sensorially informed
- Deep sense of personal agency
- Lack of self-reflection and rumination
- Individual is intrinsically motivated to complete task
- Loss of ability to judge the passage of time
This is markedly different from simply “zoning out” in that a “zoned out” individual lacks sufficient agency and motivation.
Activating the Flow
Virtually any creatively, physically, or intellectually challenging task can trigger a flow state. Instrumentalists, joggers, writers, and gamers all report entering “the zone” (code for the flow state) while performing their relative tasks. Despite the ease and frequency with which individuals can enter a state of flow, the conditions that prompt flow are relatively narrow:
- The potential to succeed must be equal to the potential to fail
- The task at hand must be clear and well-understood by the undertaker
- Feedback from the task must be immediate
The following chart presents a good visualization of the boundaries of flow:
As you can see, there is a narrow channel through the center of the chart indicating the area of flow. High skill combined with high challenge create the ideal environment for flow to thrive, as does low skill paired with low challenge and so on.
Examples of Flow in Gaming
To better visualize the magic of flow states, consider the following:
Regular players of competitive fighting games (such as Super Smash Bros. 4, as pictured left) can attest to flow states as being integral to success. These games are played by inputting a certain sequence of button presses (called “combos”) on a controller, which then causes the on-screen character to perform specific actions. Because of the wide range of possible actions and counter actions in the game, the player must have all the combos memorized and work on a sort of autopilot — flow.
Other examples are more rhythm-heavy, such as Guitar Hero, Crypt of the NecroDancer, and Dance Dance Revolution. These games use flow state much in the same way that musicians do; it helps the player to keep a steady internal rhythm, allowing them to keep up with the beat of the music.
To conclude, I’ll leave you with a humorous interpretation of what happens when the flow state is tampered with.
