A Cross-Cultural Study of Flow Experience in the IT Environment: The Beginning (original) (raw)

Playing Online Games: Flow Experience

Psychnology Journal, 2004

Playing MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons, or Multi-User Dimensions), text-only online gaming environments, may initiate flow experience. Online survey research was administered within the population of Russian MUDs players, using the specially designed questionnaire with 3 blocks of questions: demography and experience in playing MUDs; flow experience; interactive patterns. Replies of respondents (N = 347) fit a six factor model: F1 (Flow experience); F2 (Achievement); F3 (Activity/Passivity); F4 (Interaction); F5 (Thoughfulness/Spontaneity); F6 (Cognition). To analyse the data, structural equation modeling was done. All the correlations between the factors are significant (p < 0.05). The set of dimensions describing flow experience while playing MUDs was selected. Since players experience flow while MUDding, it was proposed that flow is one of the sources of MUDs' long-time attractiveness for players.

FLOW EXPERIENCE IN THE INTERNET-MEDIATED ENVIRONMENTS

The chapter presents a review of the current literature on theoretical and empirical studies of flow experience (or else optimal experience) within the Internet mediated environments. The concept of flow as introduced by Csikszentmihalyi is described, the parameters characterizing optimal forms of experience are discussed, as well as data collection methods which are most often used to measure flow. The particular Internet mediated environments connected with the studies of optimal experience and thoroughly reviewed in the chapter include online (1) shopping, (2) learning, (3) game playing, and (4) interaction. A brief overview of the projects in the field, initiated and performed by the author and his colleagues, is also presented.

Flow Experience While Computer Gaming: Empirical Study

Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2014

Video/computer/online gaming acquired great popularity. A series of studies show that gaming is accompanied by flow experience (the term coined M. Csikszentmihalyi), which is associated with intrinsic motivation, creativity and life happiness. The study was held with Chinese adolescent and adult gamers (N = 1574). A 24-item questionnaire (available in English, Russian and French) was adapted to be used within a Chinese population. The results show that Chinese gamers experience low level of Flow during gameplay sessions; males experience flow more frequently compared to females; adolescents experience flow more often than adults. Chinese gamers seldom express facts of immersion during play sessions. In sum, Chinese players seldom regard playing video/computer/online games a reasonable way to attain intrinsic motivation and flow. This result is discussed and supposedly rooted in the social ideals of collectivism in Chinese culture, according to which individuality is not encouraged.

Flow in computer-mediated environments: promises and challenges

2005

ABSTRACT This paper provides a critical review to analyze the promises and important challenges of studying flow, a psychological state, in the computer-mediated environments (CME). Despite the strong interest in IS, HCI, Marketing, Education, and other research disciplines over more than a decade, adapting the phenomenon of flow to computer users shows high inconsistencies and discrepancies in the literature. In addition, few studies attempt to provide a coherent picture of the area.

Investigating the link among flow, social interaction and ICT skills with WOW

2015

Although research shows the link between flow and social interaction, this study explore the role of ICT skills in order to experience flow and social interaction. We used constructivism theory as it explains how humans make meaning from personal experiences, social interaction and tool use. The theory of flow was applied because it stipulates that people experience flow when they are fully engaged in any activity (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi 2002). A pre and post-test was answered to determine the significance of ICT skills in relation to the experience of flow and social interaction during gameplay. We described the experiences of each participant using a case study and all the participants reported flow, social interaction in relation to their level ICT skills. We found that minimum ICT skills used for daily online operations are needed for older adults to experience flow and social interaction.

Flow experience in computer game playing among Thai university students

Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 2018

This study was based on the flow theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. A cross sectional study was performed to examine flow experience in computer game playing among university students and to identify behavior that led to positive consequences and addictive behavior. Multi-stage sampling was conducted to select a sample of 478 university students aged 18e24 years who usually played computer games. Data were collected using the assessment instruments of computer game addictive behavior and perception of the consequences from game playing. Based on exploratory factor analysis, the construct of flow experience could be divided into two dimensions: 1) cognitive flow which was composed of challenge-skill balance, clear goals, and unambiguous feedback, and 2) emotional flow which was composed of actionawareness merging, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of consciousness, and time transformation. Based on structural equation modeling, cognitive flow was positively correlated to perception of utility from the game (b ¼ .85) and emotional flow was positively correlated to physical and psychological impacts from the game (b ¼ .52). Moreover, males were more likely to spend time on computer games than females. This study found that time duration was not a key indicator of game-playing consequences. However, the state of flow in computer game playing was indeed a key factor that could perpetrate positive or negative outcomes. The findings of this study suggested that flow experience in computer game playing has both benefits and drawbacks. It is recommended that youth-related organizations should promote cognitive flow experiences to develop the self-improvement of computer game players rather than emotional flow experiences.

Measuring the flow experience among web users

1997

Abstract The flow construct has recently been proposed as essential to understanding consumer navigation behavior in online environments. We review definitions and models of flow, and describe an empirical study which measures flow in terms of respondents' skills and challenges for using the World Wide Web. Skills and challenges are shown to correlate in anticipated ways with scales measuring constructs of flow, control, arousal, and anxiety that underlie previous models of flow.

The Psychometric Properties of Dispositional Flow Scale-2 in Internet Gaming

Current Psychology, 2009

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2; Jackson and Eklund in Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology, 24:133-150, 2002). One thousand five hundred and seventy-eight secondary school students (One thousand and seventy four males, four hundred and eleven females, ninety-three missing) from six schools in Singapore completed the questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the factorial structure of the DFS-2. A nine-first-order factor model was compared to a higher order model with a global flow factor. Support was found for the higher order factor. Multigroup analysis demonstrated invariance of the factor forms, factor loadings, factor variances, and factor covariances across age and sex. The DFS-2 subscales were found to have acceptable reliability estimates, and convergent validity. We conclude that DFS-2 is a valid instrument for assessing global flow experience in Internet gaming.

FLOW EXPERIENCE AMONG INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY USERS 1, 2

revistas.ucm.es, 2008

The use of tecl,nologies is more common in daily life; working with technologies might be associated with positive experiences such as flow. However, there is little empirical research on flow experiences in technology settings. The main aim of this study was to confirm the three-dimensional construct of flow, i.e., absorption, enjoyrnent, and intrinsic interest, among 517 Information and Communication Technology users [234 students whose mean age was 23 yr. (SD=3.8)]from different ateas of study, mainly Law, Public Administration, Chemistry, and Psychology, and 283 employees [whose mean age was 33 yr. (SD=7.8)] of21 different companies from various sectors of production, namely, public administration, industrial production, and services. Analysis showed, as expected, flow is a three-dirnensional psychological construct and invariant among samples of technology users. Practical and theoretical implications as well as further research are discussed.