Psychophysiological Correlates of Flow-Experience

Flow—the pleasant state of absorption of a person with an activity—has rarely been investigated from a physiological perspective. However, interest in such studies is growing fast. Only recently, researchers started to apply psychophysiological measures to study flow-experiences. In order to contribute to this ongoing research, this chapter aims to report and integrate existing theories and findings concerning the physiology of flow-experience and to stimulate further investigation.

The first part of this chapter will give an overview about existing literature explicitly dealing with the psychophysiology of flow. A theoretical psychophysiological framework is then developed on the basis of prominent stress theories. The third part discusses physiological correlates of flow, integrating existing literature on flow and related concepts such as attention and cognitive control. The chapter ends with an integrative definition of flow-experience, practical implications, and an outlook on future research perspectives.