Flow Symposium

June 4 – 5, 2019 | ArtLab Foyer

Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics,

Frankfurt, Germany
Welcome
Dear Attendees and Guests,
We are delighted to welcome you to Frankfurt and
to our Flow Symposium at the Max Planck Institute
for Empirical Aesthetics. The event offers the
opportunity to discuss current and future direc-
tions in Flow research, to find new connections
and collaborations, as well as to renew and affirm
existing ones. We are looking forward to more than
twenty contributions presented by international
researchers from eight different countries. We are
especially happy to announce that Prof. Fredrik
Ullén will give a public lecture about individual
differences in Flow Proneness at the first evening
of our symposium.
We hope you will have a fabulous time at our
symposium and in Frankfurt,
Birte Thissen, Michael Wagner,
and Prof. Winfried Menninghaus
Organizers Program
Birte Thissen and Michael Wagner
Tuesday, June 4 Wednesday, June 5
09:30 Arrival 09:30 Flow and art
ArtLab Foyer ArtLab Foyer
List of speakers (in alphabetical order) 09:50 Welcome reception 10:50 Coffee
ArtLab Foyer ArtLab Foyer
Arnold Bakker (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands)
10:00 Pre-discussion 11:00 Poster session
ArtLab Foyer Library
Alice Chirico (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Milan / Brescia, Italy)
10:40 Flow and motivation 12:00 Lunch
ArtLab Foyer Cafeteria Dasein, Goethe University
Genevieve Cseh (Buckinghamshire New University, England)
12:00 Lunch 13:00 Flow and neurophysiology
Cafeteria Dasein, Goethe University ArtLab Foyer
Kelsey Finnley (Claremont Graduate University, USA)
13:00 Flow and psychophysiology 15:00 Open discussion on future
ArtLab Foyer research directions
László Harmat (Linnaeus University Växjö, Sweden) ArtLab Foyer
15:00 Coffee
ArtLab Foyer 16:00 Concluding remarks and farewell
David Harris (University of Exeter, England) ArtLab Foyer
15:15 Flow and creativity
ArtLab Foyer
Johannes Keller (University of Ulm, Germany)
17:15 Tour through the library Guided tour of the Sagmeister & Walsh:
and refreshments Beauty exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts
Örjan de Manzano (Karolinska Institute Stockholm, Sweden)
18:00 Public keynote (17:00 – 18:00)
ArtLab Foyer
Corinna Peifer (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany)
Dinner at the traditional Frankfurter Ebbelwoi
Kneipe (cider pub) Apfelwein Solzer (Berger
Birte Thissen (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics Frankfurt, Germany) Dinner for the speakers and open discussion of
Straße 260, close to the U4-subway station
the presentations at the oldtown restaurant Zum
“Bornheim Mitte”) (18:45 – …)
Fredrik Ullén (Karolinska Institute Stockholm, Sweden) Schwarzen Stern (Römerberg 6) (20:00 - …)
Martin Ulrich (University of Ulm, Germany) Dinner and open discussion of the presentations
for the poster presenters at Fletcher’s Better
Regina Vollmeyer (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) Burger (Katharinenpforte 6a) (20:00 - …)
Michael Wagner (University of Ulm, Germany)
René Weber (University of California Santa Barbara, USA)
4 5
Session on Flow and Motivation
Is it Possible to Measure Flow during Writing Creating Flow at Work through Job Crafting
a Criminal Story? and Playful Work Design
Regina Vollmeyer, Institute for Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) Arnold Bakker, Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Co-authors: Hannah Kurtz, Michelle Preußer, & Birte Thissen, Institute for Psychology,
Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) Flow is a state of consciousness in which people Flow, namely (a) job crafting, and (b) playful work
become totally immersed in an activity and enjoy design. Job crafting refers to proactive changes
According to Csikszentmihalyi (1975), the Scale (FSS; Rheinberg, Vollmeyer, & Engeser, it intensely. Research conducted over the past that employees can make in their own job
Flow state is characterized by the following 2003) and have been validated with activities like four decades has shown that peak experiences design. In order to optimize the fit between chal-
components: (1) A balance between perception studying, sports, gaming, and so on. However, can be achieved during a variety of activities, lenges and skills, individuals may either actively
of one’s skills and the perception of difficulty writing stories has not been studied yet. including skating, dancing, playing chess, and seek challenging job demands or job resources.
of the activity (task demand). In this state of Therefore, we first ran two pilot studies, testing working. The optimal experience of Flow is Playful work design refers to proactive behaviors
balance, one feels both optimally challenged and materials like the plot for the criminal story, most likely when skills equal challenges, and through which individuals make their work more
confident that everything is under control. (2) The the difficulty of writing the story, and the FSS Flow often coincides with episodic creativity playful. These behaviors aim at changing the
activity has coherence, contains no contradictory adapted for writing. Finally, we ran an exper- and excellent performance. This is the reason work process by designing more fun or more
demands, and provides clear, unambiguous iment testing two controversial hypotheses: (1) why the Flow concept continues to attract competition during the execution of work tasks.
feedback. (3) The activity seems to be guided writers experience Flow only if their writing skill attention in the organizational psychology and In my presentation, I will discuss how, when,
by an inner logic. (4) A high degree of concen- is in balance with their perception of difficulty management literature. While research has and for whom these proactive work strategies
tration on the activity due to undivided attention of writing the criminal story, or (2) only highly revealed which contexts and personality factors work, and help foster daily work engagement
to a limited stimulus field. (5) A change in one’s skilled writers experience Flow when the task is increase the likelihood of Flow, little is known and Flow.
experience of time. (6) The self and the activity challenging. First results will be reported. regarding what employees can actually do them-
are not separated, leading to a merging of the selves to experience Flow on a daily basis. In this
self and the activity and the loss of self-con- Keywords: Writers’ Flow; Creative Writing; presentation, I will use job demands-resources Keywords: Flow; Job Demands-Resources
sciousness (Engeser & Rheinberg, 2008). These Optimal Balance of Skills and Challenges; and proactivity theories to argue that individuals Theory; Job Crafting; Job Design; Playful
components are measured with the Flow Short Flow Short Scale may use two specific strategies to enhance Work Design
6 7

Session on Flow and Psychophysiology
On the Physiology of Flow Experiences
Corinna Peifer, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
In recent years, Flow has been increasingly
investigated from a physiological perspective
and interest in such studies is growing fast. In
order to contribute to this ongoing research,
this talk aims to report and integrate existing
theories and findings concerning the physiology
of Flow experiences and to stimulate further
investigation and application of findings in
research and practice. Based on a comparison
between the Flow channel model (Csiksz-
entmihalyi 1975) and the transactional stress
model (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), as well as on
empirical findings, the talk will show similarities
and differences between the concepts stress
and Flow. In terms of stress-related physiological
markers, it is proposed that Flow occurs at a
state of moderate physiological arousal (e.g.,
sympathetic activation, cortisol), whereas Flow
is decreased when physiological arousal is low
(boredom/relaxation) or high (anxiety/stress),
Optimal Reading Experiences: Flow and its
Psychophysiological Indicators in Fiction Readers
Birte Thissen, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics Frankfurt (Germany)
Co-authors: Mathias Scharinger, Wolff Schlotz & Winfried Menninghaus, Max Planck Institute
for Empirical Aesthetics Frankfurt (Germany)
We here report research that transfers the
concept of Flow states to the context of fiction
reading in order to empirically examine reading
pleasure. While reading research still faces
substantial difficulties to study this fairly elusive
experience, Flow theory with its core idea of
balanced challenge and skill levels as a basis for
8 9
resulting in an inverted u-shaped relationship
between Flow and arousal. At the same time,
(moderately) elevated parasympathetic activation
should be related to Flow. Next, a theoretical
framework of the association between stress
and Flow will be introduced, as well as an inte-
grative definition of Flow: “Flow is a positively
valenced state (affective component), resulting
from an activity that has been appraised as
an optimal challenge (cognitive component),
characterized by optimal physiological activation
(physiological component) for full concentration
on coping with environmental/task demands
(behavioral component).” The talk will end with
an outlook on future research perspectives and
on practical implications of the findings.
Keywords: Flow; Stress; Coping;
Physiological Activation; Inverted-U Shape
activity enjoyment could serve as a framework
for studies of reading pleasure under exper-
imentally controlled conditions. Against this
background, we assigned pre-selected readers
to one of three versions of the same narrative
that differed in complexity of writing style,
quantified in terms of readability. During reading,
we measured psychophysiological indices
including electrocardiogram (ECG), electro-
myogram (EMG), electrodermal activity (EDA),
cortisol level, and respiration, and after reading
administered a reading-specific self-report Flow
scale. Given the Flow state’s association with
both objective challenge and subjective ease, we
hypothesized that, in the Flow condition, reading
is associated with intermediate activation in both
the arousal-related sympathetic and the relax-
ation-related parasympathetic nervous system.
Accordingly, we expected moderate increases
on the one hand in arousal-related indicators like
heart rate, skin conductance, and cortisol level,
and on the other hand in relaxation-related indi-
A Cardiovascular Analysis of the Flow Experience
Michael Wagner, Institute for Psychology and Pedagogics, University of Ulm (Germany)
Co-author: Johannes Keller, Institute for Psychology and Pedagogics, University of Ulm (Germany)
Flow theory (FT) and the biopsychosocial model
of challenge and threat (BPSM) have striking
parallels: Both theories assume the perceived
ratio between situational demands and individual
skills as a crucial factor to predict motiva-
tional states (i.e., Flow and challenge/threat).
An empirical analysis of the relation of these
theories is missing, but would be enlightening as
the psychophysiological approach of the BPSM
could give further clarity on the cardiovascular
(CV) correlates of Flow. We collected CV signals
of 84 participants, who worked on a mental arith-
metic task under three conditions (within-sub-
jects design). In the fit condition, task demands
were automatically adjusted to individuals’ skills.
A boredom and an overload condition served as
control conditions (i.e., skills exceeded demands,
or vice versa). We found that (a) more Flow was
cators like respiration depth and high-frequency
heart rate variability. Moreover, we assumed
maximization of low-frequency heart rate vari-
ability, indicating parasympathetic modulation
of sympathetic activation and thus interaction
of both systems. Given the supposed optimal
degree of engagement during reading in Flow,
we also expect higher emotional responsiveness
towards story events as indicated by more
pronounced facial expressions in readers. This
presentation will show our preliminary results.
Keywords: Flow in Fiction Reading; Reading
Pleasure; Psychophysiology; Optimal Balance
of Skills and Challenges
experienced in the fit compared to the overload
condition and (b) the fit condition was asso-
ciated with a stronger CV pattern of challenge
compared to the boredom condition. Referring
to theoretically well embedded physiological
parameters, our results suggest that Flow and
its main boundary condition is characterized by a
limited activation of the HPA-axis and moderate
sympathetic arousal. Interestingly, we found a
prominent CV pattern of threat in the boredom
condition, while the BPSM would predict a
CV pattern of challenge when skills exceed
demands. Hence, our results suggest a modifi-
cation of the BPSM when skills strongly exceed
task demands.
Keywords: Flow; Biopsychosocial Model
of Challenge and Threat
Session on Flow and Creativity
Flow Experience, Creativity, and Synchronized
Interactions during Group-based Problem-solving Tasks
László Harmat, Department of Psychology, Linnaeus University Växjö (Sweden)
Co-author: Bengt-Köping Olsson, Department of Innovation Management, Mälardalen University
Eskilstuna (Sweden)
The main purpose of the study was to inves-
tigate the relationship between participants’
state Flow experience and the experience of
the actual interactions with the other group
members during a group-based creative prob-
lem-solving task (CPS- task) in relation to their
creativity attitude and the produced results (i.e.,
the group’s solution of the CPS-task). Twelve
groups of a total of 62 participants took part
in the experiment. This study was designed
as an experiment, in which participants were
requested to perform a problem-solving task in
groups, and to answer questionnaires regarding
1) the experience of state Flow in relation to
task performance (FSS-2, Jackson & Eklund,
2004), 2) the experience of synchronized social
interactions during the task assessed with the
Flow Synchronization Scale, (FSyQ, Magyarófi &
Oláh, 2015), and 3) the creativity attitude towards
openness to novelty and flexible adaptation
assessed with the Langer Mindfulness/Mind-
lessness Scale (MMS, Langer 1992; Haigh et al.,
10
2011). We found that state Flow was positively
associated with subjectively perceived synchro-
nized interactions during the CPS-task. Higher
state Flow during the task was associated
with higher values on creativity attitude in the
Mindfulness Scale, but perceived synchronized
interactions, such as effective cooperation and
coordination with group members during the
activity, were associated with low creativity
attitude (mindlessness). In addition, the groups
with more original solutions on the CPS-task had
significantly higher values on the FSS-2 subdi-
mension of unambiguous feedback, compared to
the groups who produced less-original solutions
as rated by external experts. The presentation
ends with a conceptual framework for studying
group interactions, Flow and creativity, as well as
with suggestions for further research.
Keywords: Creativity; Group Performance;
Flow Experience; Problem Solving; Synchronized
Interaction
The Thrills and Anxieties of Uncertainty: Paradoxes
and Motivators of Flow in Visual Creativity
Genevieve Cseh, Department of Psychology, Buckinghamshire New University (England)
Csikszentmihalyi argues that Flow is funda-
mental to human progress through its motiva-
tional effects on innovation. Flow and creativity
may be linked especially by two perplexing and
paradoxical aspects of Flow theory explored in
less depth than other better-known components
(e.g., skill-challenge balance), which also feature
in theories of creativity – the need for unam-
biguous feedback and a sense of control. This
presentation argues that, in creativity, needs for
feedback and control are often more fluid than in
other domains. The presentation reviews several
quantitative and qualitative studies intended
to explore these factors, using the lab-based
experimental creative mental synthesis
task (combining simple shapes into creative
drawings), and manipulating perceptual feedback
(sketching availability) and control (degree of
choice) during the creative process to explore
their impact on Flow. Additionally, links between
Flow, affect, and creative performance were
examined, given general assumptions that Flow
directly influences peak performance through
improved affect. Results show that sketching
facilitated Flow by decreasing a sense of diffi-
culty. This may be related to a disambiguation
of our cognitive-perceptual internal feedback
system through mental imagery. Increased
choice, however, was not a significant influence
on Flow, raising questions of how much control
vs. surrender are optimal for creative Flow. Flow
was indeed linked to affective improvement,
but not to objective measures of performance.
Results are discussed in light of in-depth inter-
views with creators, as well as regarding types/
stages of creativity, dual thought systems, and
the fine line between excitement and anxiety
within uncertainty that creators tread in the
pursuit of creative Flow and its motivational
highs.
Keywords: Flow; Creativity; Mental Imagery;
Paradox of Control; Tolerance of Ambiguity
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Flow Proneness predicts Individual Differences
in Creative Achievement even among Professional
Musicians
Örjan de Manzano, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute Stockholm (Sweden)
Co-author: Fredrik Ullén, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute Stockholm (Sweden)
Flow is the subjective experience of high but
effortless attention, loss of self-awareness,
control, and enjoyment that can occur during
active performance of challenging tasks.
Qualitative research suggests a strong relation
between Flow and creative work, and higher
proneness for Flow experiences in music has
been found to correlate with achievement level
in the music domain (from non-musicians to
acclaimed professionals). Here, we extend
this work by presenting novel data showing
that Flow Proneness is also associated with
individual differences in high-level creative
achievements within a professional sample. This
finding is based on data that was collected in a
web-survey, in which a total of 482 professional
musicians reported on their productivity (e.g.,
number of recordings, awards, pupils, etc.),
Flow Proneness, and big five personality, and
performed the Wiener Matrizen intelligence
Session on Flow and Art
From Individual Flow to Group Flow in Music:
Taking Stock
Alice Chirico, Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Milan/Brescia (Italy)
Research on the link between music and Flow
has often focused on the individual side of
this embodied system, but far less is known
about the group side of this experience. The
12
test. A multiple regression analysis showed
that Flow Proneness at work was significantly
associated with musical achievement even
when including personality and intelligence in
the statistical model. Interestingly, in males
the association between Flow Proneness and
achievement was about twice as strong as the
association between openness to experience
and achievement, while in females the opposite
relation was found. In conclusion, domain
specific Flow Proneness not only differentiates
professionals from non-professionals, but also
correlates with professional creative achieve-
ments, as demonstrated here using musi-
cians. Further details of these analyses will be
discussed.
Keywords: Flow Proneness; Creative
Achievement; Professional Musicians;
Big Five; Intelligence
only existing systematic review outlined three
main musical settings in which the experience
of individual Flow can take place: (1) musical
composition, (2) listening, and (3) musical
performance. This study revealed that Flow in
the musical domain has been studied mainly as a
disposition, not as a contingent state, especially
in the musical performance setting. Future
challenges include the need to overcome the
frequency approach toward Dispositional Flow,
an integration of both State and Dispositional
Flow perspectives, and adopting a group or
systemic level of analysis to deepen compre-
hension of how Flow takes place in the musical
context. A far more recent scoping review on
Group Flow illustrated that this last challenge
unveils another issue, that is, how to operation-
alize Group Flow in the musical domain. This has
The Aesthetic Experience as Flow:
Relationships with Well-being
Kelsey Finnley, Positive Developmental Psychology Department, Claremont Graduate University (USA)
This presentation will explore the phenomeno-
logical experience of viewing art. Csikszentmi-
halyi and Robinson (1990) interviewed museum
professionals and found that the aesthetic
experience had many similar qualities to the
Flow experience, but had four art-related dimen-
sions. Evermann (2004) replicated this qualitative
process with theatre professionals and found the
same dimensions. To support further investi-
gation of the Flow-like experience of viewing art
and of its outcomes, we created the Aesthetic
Experience Questionnaire (AEQ; Wanzer,
Finley, Zarian, & Cortez, 2018). Support for the
emotional, perceptual, and Flow dimensions of
the aesthetic experience as described by Csiksz-
entmihalyi and Robinson (1990) were found;
however, exploratory factor analyses did not
uncover the communicative and cognitive dimen-
led to the emergence of several terms referring
to the same concept (e.g., Networked Flow,
Group Flow, Combined Flow). Even though it has
been demonstrated that some musical contexts
are Group Flow-conductive (e.g., improvisation),
we are just at the beginning of the investigation
of how this experience could emerge within
this field. This contribution presents how Flow
and music have been linked in last years with a
special focus on the group dimension.
Keywords: Flow; Music; Individual Flow;
Group Flow; Systematic Review
sions, but rather two dimensions which we have
labeled cultural dimension and understanding
dimension. These differences may be in part due
to using a non-exemplar, non-artistic sample in
our scale development. The relationship between
the AEQ dimensions and participants’ artistic
training and demographic variables will be
discussed. Finally, preliminary findings from an
upcoming two-part experimental study exam-
ining how the aesthetic experience can promote
well-being (Finley & Wanzer, in prep.) as well as
implications for practice and future directions
for the study of the aesthetic experience will be
shared.
Keywords: Aesthetic Experience; Flow;
Well-being; Scale Validation
13

Session on Flow and Neurophysiology
The Synchronization Theory of Flow:
Neuropsychological Evidence and the Theory’s Future
in the Field of Neuroaesthetics
René Weber, Department of Communication, University of California Santa Barbara (USA)
The Flow construct first appeared within human-
istic perspectives in psychology in the 1960s.
Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of human happiness,
balance, and optimal experience is today known
as Flow theory. Flow is characterized by six
specific traits: balance between an individ-
ual’s skills and an activity’s challenge, focused
attention, temporal distortion, task enjoyment,
intrinsic motivation, and the transition of an
individual’s mental state from self-centeredness
to self-transcendence. Since the early days
of Flow theory, the construct was charac-
terized by conceptual ambiguity, questionable
measurement procedures, and confusion about
what counts as antecedents or as outcomes of
Flow experiences. Ensuing theorizing intro-
duced neuropsychological conceptualizations
of the Flow construct in the mid to late 2000s
with the goal to resolve conceptual ambiguities
and measurement issues by specifying the
neuropsychological processes that underlie
Flow experiences. One conceptualization, the
The Neural Signature of Flow
Martin Ulrich, Department for Cognitive Electrophysiology, University of Ulm (Germany)
The experience of Flow ensues when engaging
in a demanding task with demands balanced to
individual levels of skill or ability. In a series of
experiments with different samples of healthy,
male participants, mental arithmetic expressions
14
synchronization theory of Flow (STF), has been
intensively tested in recent years. STF formu-
lates three central predictions: (1) Flow states
are associated with large scale synchronization
within and between hierarchically organized
attention and reward (dopaminergic) networks,
(2) the synchronization of attention and reward
networks during Flow states occurs suddenly
at critical time points, defining a discrete brain
state that corresponds to energetic optimization
in these brain networks, and (3) synchronization
across large scale attention and reward networks
during Flow is predictive of behavioral conse-
quences of Flow including task performance and
task enjoyment. This presentation will review
the premises and hypotheses of STF, showcase
a selection of recent empirical findings, and
discuss the theory’s potential future in the field
of neuroaesthetics.
Keywords: Flow Theory; Synchronization Theory;
Attention; Motivation; Cognitive Control
were solved while brain activation was measured
using functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI). Difficulty of the task was automatically
and continuously adjusted to participants’ level
of skill (Flow condition). Math expressions of
very low difficulty (boredom condition) and
very high difficulty (overload condition) served
as control conditions. Subjective Flow expe-
riences were higher in the Flow condition
compared with control conditions. This was
also reflected in electrodermal activity changes.
In the brain, higher activation during Flow
relative to control conditions was observed in
regions of the multiple-demand system and in
the midbrain, whereas the medial prefrontal
cortex (MPFC) and the amygdala, showed the
opposite pattern, that is, relatively decreased
activation during Flow. Since subjective Flow
experiences correlated rather specifically with
activation changes in the MPFC and amygdala,
these regions were in the focus of later work,
together with the midbrain’s dorsal raphe
Is Flow really Effortless? Examining the Role
of Executive Attention in ‘the Zone’
David Harris, Department of Sport and Health Science, University of Exeter (England)
Flow is often reported to be a state of ease or
effortlessness, which develops as the performer
becomes increasingly absorbed in their task.
Increased motor automaticity and prefrontal
deactivation have previously been proposed
as explanations for the lack of subjective effort
during Flow. This experience of decreased felt
effort is, however, at odds with the attentionally
demanding tasks in which Flow can be found.
Traditional models of attention suggest that as a
task becomes more difficult, requiring cognitive
or executive control, more mental energy or
effort is required to meet demands. In the
context of sports and computer gaming, I will
discuss how psychophysiological measurement
nucleus considered to exert down-modulatory
influence on the MPFC and amygdala. To further
investigate causal involvement of the MPFC
in mediating Flow experience, transcranial
direct current stimulation (tDCS) was applied
to modulate its activity and, consequently, the
degree of Flow experience. Preliminary results
are suggestive that tDCS changes flow-related
activation patterns downstream to the MPFC,
however conditioned by inter-individual variance
of functional connectivity between flow-relevant
brain regions.
Keywords: Flow Experience; Neuroimaging;
Medial Prefrontal Cortex; Amygdala; Transcranial
Direct Current Stimulation
techniques can be used to examine attentional
effort and address this paradox. Objective, online
measurement methods, like eye-tracking, can
inform us about attention during Flow, as well
as identify attentional mechanisms that may be
responsible for peak performance during Flow.
Recent evidence is at odds with descriptions of
Flow as effortless and suggests that Flow does
indeed require effortful attention. Understanding
this paradox of effort in Flow may be informative
for wider theories of attention and effort.
Keywords: Attention; Effort; Top-down;
Flow; Gaze
15
Open Discussion on Flow Research
Future Directions in Flow Research
Johannes Keller, Institute for Psychology and Pedagogics, University of Ulm (Germany)
What are the open questions in Flow research?
What could be the agenda for the next gener-
ation of Flow research? With these questions
in mind, Johannes Keller will give an overview
about current problems and future directions in
Public Keynote
The Flow Nexus: Individual Variation in Flow Proneness
and its Correlates
Fredrik Ullén, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute Stockholm (Sweden)
There are large individual differences in how
frequently people have Flow experiences.
This variation is likely to depend on situational
variables, i.e., environmental opportunities to
engage in flow-promoting activities, as well as
trait differences in the proneness to experience
Flow. Flow Proneness and its association with
other variables have been the focus of several
large-scale studies in recent years. This research
shows that Flow Proneness is correlated with
major personality dimensions, motivation, and
emotional competence. Associations with
cognitive ability, in contrast, are weak or nil.
Furthermore, Flow Proneness is associated
with long-term engagement and creative
achievement within a specific field. Finally, Flow
16
Flow research. Subsequently, there will be an
open discussion of these topics.
Keywords: Flow Research; Current Problems;
Future Directions
Proneness correlates with several measures of
psychological health, including lower levels of
depressive symptoms at work and emotional
exhaustion. Here, I will summarize this liter-
ature and discuss possible underpinnings of
the observed associations, with reference to
results from twin modelling, as well as physi-
ological and neuroimaging studies of Flow. In
conclusion, I will suggest that Flow may be a
critical ingredient in a psychologically sustainable
engagement, where high commitment,
creativity, and achievement go together with
psychological well-being.
Keywords: Flow; Individual Differences;
Personality; Creativity; Well-being
Poster Session
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS)
modulates Flow Experience
Gina Wolters, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
Co-authors: Lorenza Colzato, Cognitive Psychology Unit and Leiden Institute for Brain and
Cognition, Leiden University (Netherlands); Corinna Peifer, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University
Bochum (Germany)
Flow has been defined as a pleasant psycho- while being stimulated, participants had to rate
logical state that people experience when their Flow experience after having performed a
completely absorbed in an activity. Previous task for 30 min. Active tVNS, compared to sham
correlative evidence showed that the vagal stimulation, decreased Flow (as indexed by
tone (as indexed by heart rate variability) is a absorption scores). The results can be explained
reliable marker of Flow. So far, it has not yet by the network reset theory, which assumes that
been demonstrated that the vagus nerve plays
a causal role in Flow. To explore this, we used
high-phasic LC activity promotes a global reset
of attention over exploitation of the current focus
transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), of attention, allowing rapid behavioral adaptation,
a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique and resulting in decreased absorption scores.
that increases activation of the locus coeruleus Furthermore, our findings corroborate the
(LC) and norepinephrine release. A sham/place- hypothesis that the vagus nerve and noradren-
bo-controlled, randomized cross-over with- ergic system are causally involved in Flow.
in-subject design was employed to infer a causal
relation between the stimulated vagus nerve and Keywords: Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stim-
Flow as measured using the Flow Short Scale in ulation; Locus Coeruleus; Norepinephrine; Flow
32 healthy young volunteers. In both sessions, Experience; Network Reset Theory
The Habitual Flow Scale: A Questionnaire to Measure
the “Habit” to Experience Flow.
Marek Bartzik, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
Co-author: Corinna Peifer, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
The concept of Flow has been described as a trait, there is not yet a questionnaire that is
a state and as a trait. Literature has identified sensitive to changes in the habit to experience
factors that facilitate Flow, meaning that there is Flow over a certain time interval and after inter-
a potential to alter the probability to experience ventions. Thus, we have developed a Habitual
Flow using Flow interventions. While question- Flow Scale (HFS). The HFS consists of 11
naires exist to measure Flow as a state and as items. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis
17
revealed a two factors solution for the scale.
The results of the confirmatory factor analysis
(CFA) showed an acceptable model fit. We found
correlations of the HFS with big five personality
factors, with Flow Proneness, and with State
Flow in a cognitive task. In Study 2, we are
currently validating and extending findings from
Study 1. Currently 280 participants took part
in Study 2. We are going to present statistical
Interoception in Musicians’ Flow
Jasmine Tan, Department of Psychology, Goldsmith University of London (England)
Co-author: Joydeep Bhattacharya, Department of Psychology, Goldsmith University of London (England)
Flow is a state in which an individual is intensely
engaged with a skill-matched challenging activity
and the experience is intrinsically rewarding.
People often report different bodily sensa-
tions during Flow, most commonly a sense of
effortless movement and a merging of action
and awareness. However, interoception, i.e.,
how the brain perceives sensations originating
from within the body, during Flow has yet to be
characterized. We investigated the degree of
interoception in musicians’ Flow experience by
measuring heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP), an
event-related potential (ERP) that reflects cortical
processing of the heartbeat. 40 musicians played
a self-selected musical piece that induced Flow
and two other self-selected musical pieces that
did not induce Flow but were matched with
the Flow-inducing piece either in challenge (no
Flow, equal challenge condition) or in liking
(no Flow, equal liking condition). EEG and ECG
signals were continuously measured. The HEP
18
results during the symposium. We believe that
the HFS can help to evaluate interventions that
facilitate Flow at the workplace and in everyday
life. As a next step, interventions studies are
needed to confirm the sensitivity of the scale to
changes in habitual Flow experiences.
Keywords: Habitual Flow; Personality;
Self-efficacy; Well-being; Life satisfaction
in the period immediately after musicians
stopped playing was compared across the three
conditions. HEP averaged over the left frontal
electrodes showed a broad negative waveform
at 200 ms to 600 ms after the R-peak. In the
Flow condition, HEP was most negative. As
more negative HEPs are associated with better
interoception, these results suggest that Flow
is linked with stronger interoception. There was
a strong lateralisation effect, with no difference
between conditions in the right hemisphere.
This could be attributed to the dominance of
the right hemisphere in processing the emotion
in the music. We demonstrate that the cortical
processing of the heartbeat is significantly
modulated by the Flow experience in musicians,
providing a novel insight into the brain-body
interaction during Flow.
Keywords: Flow; Musicians; Interoception; EEG;
Heart-evoked Potential
Flow in Music Performance: In Quest of the Autotelic
Personality among Musicians
Manuela Marin, Institute for Psychology, University of Innsbruck (Austria)
Empirical research on Flow in music perfor- studied 158 professional musicians of ten
mance is scarce, although it may offer novel Austrian classical orchestras and administered
insights into the question of why people engage a set of standardized questionnaires measuring
in musical activities for extensive periods of Dispositional Flow, resilience, emotional self-ef-
time. Csikszentmihalyi proposed the concept ficacy, locus of control, the big five personality
of an autotelic personality, i.e., a disposition to traits, stress reactivity, and implicit motives.
actively search for challenges and Flow experi- Hierarchical linear regression analyses controlling
ences. However, little is known about autotelic for the big five personality traits and emotional
personalities among musicians. Marin and Bhat- self-efficacy revealed significant positive asso-
tacharya (2013) studied individual differences in ciations between Flow experiences and age,
a group of 76 piano performance students and internal locus of control, hope of success, and
assessed their Flow experience as well as their resilience. Our results indicated that personality
trait emotional intelligence. Flow was predicted traits related to Flow in the context of work and
by the amount of daily practice and trait sports are also of critical relevance to music
emotional intelligence, but a positive relationship performance. The experience of Flow was also
between Flow and high achievement was not associated with the orchestral rank but not with
supported. Marin and colleagues (in prep.) any other achievement measures.
further investigated whether Flow among profes-
sional musicians is related to personality traits Keywords: Dispositional Flow;
that have been identified as significant predictors Music Performance; Autotelic Personality;
of Flow in other domains besides music. We Individual Differences
Time Flows: Manipulations of Subjective Time
Progression Affect Recalled Flow and Performance
in a Subsequent Task
Fabian Christandl, Psychology School, University of Applied Sciences Fresenius Cologne (Germany)
Co-authors: Katja Mierke, Psychology School, University of Applied Sciences Fresenius Cologne
(Germany); Corinna Peifer, Faculty for Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
Subjective time progression has been shown to as operationalized by announcing either shorter
serve as a heuristic cue for evaluating stimuli, or longer time intervals than the actual time
tasks, and events. The subjective feeling that during task completion, affects recalled Flow
time flies is a characteristic feature of Flow and subsequent performance. In Study 1, we
experience. In four experiments, we investigated were able to show that subjectively accelerated
whether and how subjective time progression, time progression increases recalled Flow.
19
Studies 2, 3, and 4 tested our central hypothesis,
according to which the experience that time flies
while working on a task should lead to better
performance in a subsequent similar task. This
effect was found in all studies. Studies 3 and
4 further revealed that, as expected, the effect
was mediated by recalled Flow, while controlling
for potential alternative mediators. The findings
from Study 4 further indicate a spillover effect
such that participants who recalled higher levels
of Flow as a result of our manipulation also
experienced higher levels of Flow in a subse-
Investigating the Role of Subjective Task-value in Flow
Experiences: Effects of Regulatory Fit
Jonas Reinhardt, Institute for Psychology and Pedagogics, University of Ulm (Germany)
Co-author: Michael Wagner, Institute for Psychology and Pedagogics, University of Ulm (Germany)
The present study addresses the assumption
that the subjective value attributed to a task,
besides a perceived fit of skills and task
demands, is an antecedent factor for the expe-
rience of Flow. Subjective value was manipulated
by means of a regulatory fit between chronic
regulatory focus and framing of a mental arith-
metic task (i.e., either stressing possible gains
or losses). Participants’ chronic regulatory foci
(i.e., prevention and promotion) were assessed
at first. The framing of the task primed either an
eager or a vigilant strategy to work on the task
(between-subjects design). We hypothesized
that a fit between chronic regulatory focus and
task framing would result in the experience of
more Flow relative to a non-fit. In an online study
with 216 participants, we found a main effect for
chronic regulatory focus. Specifically, a stronger
20
quent task. The present research contributes to By car
an integration of naïve theories on subjective
Travel Information On the motorway A 5 at Autobahnkreuz
time progression, Flow experience, and objective (interchange) Nordwestkreuz Frankfurt keep
By public transport
performance. The research provides preliminary right and follow the signs A 66 in direction
Closest subway station to the institute:
evidence that recalled Flow experiences can be „F - Miquelallee / F - Stadtmitte“. Take the fork in
“Grüneburgweg”
affected post hoc using time manipulation. These the direction of Frankfurt-Miquelallee and follow
findings bear practical implications for applied A 66 for another 5 km. Continue on Miquel-
U1, U2, U3 and U8 from central subway
pedagogical and organizational psychology. lallee / B 8 for another 700 m, then turn right
stations “Hauptwache” or “Willy-Brandt-
into „Eschersheimer Landstraße“. After about
Platz” in the direction of “Ginnheim”,
1200 m turn right into „Grüneburgweg“. When
“Bad Homburg / Gonzenheim”, “Oberursel-
Keywords: Time Perception; Fluency; Flow; you pass the street „Im Trutz“ you will find our
Hohenmark” or “Riedberg”
Achievement; Naïve Theories institute in the building Westend Carree on your
(not in the direction of “Südbahnhof”).
right, entrance Grüneburgweg 14. Please note
that parking capacities of our car park are limited,
From the station to the institute: Exit the subway
so let us know in advance, if you intend to arrive
station, after 50 m turn right into „Grüne-
burgweg“. Stay on the right side of the street.
by car.
After crossing the second side street („Im
By train
Trutz“), you will find our Institute to your right in
From Frankfurt main station („Hauptbahnhof“)
the Westend Carree building (Grüneburgweg 14).
take underground line U4 or U5 to „Willy-Brandt-
Platz“. Get off and change trains: you can either
Tickets: Ticket vending machines, operating
chronic promotion focus was associated with take the U1, U2, U3 or U8 until „Grüneburgweg”
in both English and German, are placed in the
more Flow experience. This is well in line with (see above for directions).
entrance areas of the subway station, before
existing work that shows beneficial effects of
you go down to the train platforms. You need
certain personality traits on Flow (e.g., action-ori- From Frankfurt Main Airport
change or a Maestro-Card to buy a ticket
entation). The predicted interaction between task Follow the signs to the „Regional-Bahnhof“ at
(no Credit Cards). For a single trip, buy
framing and regulatory focus (i.e., a regulatory the airport, the underground train station for the
„Einzelfahrt Frankfurt / Single trip Frankfurt“
fit) was not significant. Explorative mediation S-trains. After purchasing a ticket, go downstairs
for an adult (2,75€).
analyses revealed that the association between and take S8 or S9, direction „Hanau“. Get off and
© OpenStreetMap-Mitwirkende
chronic promotion focus strength and Flow change trains at the station „Hauptwache“. Take
experience was partially mediated both by the the U1, U2, U3 or U8 (see above for directions)
subjective value attributed to the task and by and get off at „Grüneburgweg“.
the perceived fit of skills and task demands. This
represents first, however indirect, evidence for
the claim that the subjective value attributed to a
14
U U1, U2, U3, U8
Grüneburgweg
task is an important factor for Flow to emerge Grüneburgweg
Es
c he
Leerba
rshe
im
Reuterweg
Im
er
ch
Keywords: Flow; Subjective Task-value;
straße
Trutz
Gärtnerweg
Regulatory Fit
Lan
dst
U
raß
Fra
U1, U2, U3, U8
e
Eschenheimer Tor
kfu
rt
mer
Bockenhei
Anlage
U U6, U7
Alte Oper
50 100 150 200 m
21

Further Information
…on Frankfurt
Our symposium will bring you to Frankfurt am
Main, the 5th biggest city in Germany with
approx. 700.000 inhabitants, located at the river
Main. This “smallest German metropolis” is
most well-known for being one of the largest
financial centers in Europe, which earned it a by
German standards remarkable city skyline and
the (cheeky) nickname Mainhattan. Apart from
its urban and international side, Frankfurt is also
a city with rich historical background, being the
former coronation place of German emperors,
a major trade fair since medieval times, and
the birth place of the most renowned German
poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Frankfurt’s
many different sides are also reflected in its
main touristic attractions, ranging from historic
places like the Römer (town hall square), the
Paulskirche (the cradle of German democracy),
the Kaiserdom (imperial cathedral) or the rebuilt
New Oldtown, to modern buildings like the Main
Tower and the European Central Bank. Cultural
hubs include the Museumsufer (museums’
riverside) and the Alte Oper Frankfurt (opera
house), as well as the many small Ebbelwoi
Kneipen (traditional cider pubs), in which you will
find typical local foods and drinks like Schnitzel
mit grüner Soße (cutlets with green sauce) and
the notorious Ebbelwoi (local cider). Welcome
to Frankfurt!
…on the Max Planck Institute for Empirical
Aesthetics (MPIEA)
The institute, in which our symposium takes
place, belongs to the Max Planck Society,
Germany’s largest fundamental research asso-
ciation. Founded in 2013, this institute is one of
the few places worldwide that are dedicated to
empirical aesthetics research. In a joint effort of
scholars from the humanities and the sciences,
the institute explores ways to arrive at a deeper
22
understanding of the mechanisms, elicitors, and
functions of aesthetic liking and aesthetic prefer-
ences. Currently, the institute involves depart-
ments of Language and Literature, Music, and
Neuroscience, as well as modern laboratories
including the ArtLab, a concert hall specifically
designed for research purposes.
…on the Museum of Applied Arts’
Beauty Exhibition
The symposium’s voluntary social program
includes a guided tour at the Museum Ange-
wandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts) of the
Sagmeister & Walsh: Beauty exhibition on June
5th. With this exhibition project, the renowned
Acknowledgements
New Yorker graphic designer duo Stefan
We would like to thank everyone who helped us to
Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh make a visually
organize the symposium!
impressive multimedia plea for us to take delight
in beauty. Spreading across the entire museum,
Special thanks are in order for Martina Wülfert who
their exhibition investigates why people feel
did a tremendous job in co-organizing this event
attracted to beauty, how they can deal with it,
as well as to the MPIEA’s graphic design, PR, and
and which positive effects beauty can have. With
technical team - without their help the symposium
the aid of examples from the fields of graphic
would not have been possible. Many thanks also to
design, product design, architecture, and city
our student assistants who helped with all the small
planning, Sagmeister and Walsh demonstrate
things involved in such an event. Last but not least,
that beautiful objects, buildings, and strat-
we would like to thank Winfried Mennighaus for
egies are not only more pleasing, but actually
making the symposium happen in the first place.
more effective, and that form does not merely
follow function, but in many cases actually is
the function.
…on Ebbelwoi Kneipen (local cider pubs)
Somewhat outstanding for a country famous
for beer, the city of Frankfurt prides itself in
Ebbelwoi, a local cider-like beverage. Probably
the most Frankfurt thing you can do is to sit
down in a traditional Ebbelwoi bar and enjoy
a Bembel (specifically shaped pitcher) of cold
Ebbelwoi together with typical food like cutlets,
hard cheese, and the famed green sauce, made
of 7 different herbs – which is what we will do
for dinner as part of the voluntary social program
on June 5th. We would be happy if you liked to
join us!
23
Contact Persons

Michael Wagner Birte Thissen

Phone number: +49 (0)157 32501766 Phone number: +49 (0)163 7372514

Technicalities
WLAN: see conference folder

Technical equipment: presentation labtop, beamer, microphones, speaker,

extension cords, adapters, USB stick

Cloakroom, lockers, and a storage room for posters available

Grüneburgweg 14
60322 Frankfurt am Main
ae.mpg.de