Flow in Sports, Art, and Exam-Taking

Abstract

This research studies the idea of ‘flow’. Flow is described as a state in which a person is performing an activity and is immersed in a feeling of energized focus, complete involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. This study examined whether individuals experience more flow when performing activities that involve a high degree of skill, such as sports and art, than when performing a skill for which one may be less prepared: taking an exam. It also compared whether artists or athletes experience more flow. In this study, the Flow State Scale (FSS) questionnaire was used, which includes 36 statements with rating scales that is used to measure flow levels. Participants were athletes and artists that are college undergraduates. Each participant took two FSS questionnaires that are the same, about their skilled activity (sports/art) experience and on their exam-taking experience. The results shown were that the athletes and artists had no difference in flow levels (had equal amounts), and that the skilled activities produced more flow than the exam-taking activity.