« Patent Office Rejects Blackboard’s User Role Patent | Main | School Board Proposes Limitations on Homework »
The Importance of Flow in Learning and Happiness
By Richard Nantel | April 1, 2008
I seem to come across the concept of “flow” everywhere I turn.
About two years ago, a large company approached Brandon Hall Research to see if we’d be interested in studying the effects of flow on learning. Then, last year, in reading about brain plasticity, I came across research that suggested that flow is the state most beneficial to learning and forging new neural connections. Currently curious about positive psychology, I’m reading that flow plays an important role in generating happiness.
So what’s flow?
Flow is a term coined by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced “cheeks sent me high”) to describe a state of complete immersion in a task. If you’ve ever been so engrossed in an activity that hours went by as minutes and you forgot to eat, you’ve experienced flow.
Flow is a state that can be achieved doing a wide range of activities, whether physical or intellectual. I’ve often experienced flow on bicycle rides. I’ll look down at my odometer to find that miles have been covered without my being aware. I’ve also experienced flow writing software, especially when debugging a problem. My pal Russ experiences flow carving beautiful and intricate wooden reliefs at his workbench each night.
According to psychologist Martin Seligman, flow requires the following:
- The task is challenging and requires skill.
- We concentrate.
- There are clear goals.
- We get immediate feedback.
- We have deep, effortless involvement.
- There is a sense of control.
- Our sense of self vanishes.
- Time stops.
The idea of flow being conducive to learning and happiness should make generating flow a top priority in every workplace:
- Encourage team members to turn off e-mail, IM, and phones for extended blocks of time. Flow occurs without distraction.
- Provide enough freedom at work to encourage people to pursue projects in which they are engaged. Google certainly seems to have embraced this strategy, allowing developers to spend 20 percent of their time on personal projects.
- A flow-inducing project for one person may not be the right fit for another. Ensure that projects are aligned with personal interests and strengths.
Topics: Flow, Learning, Positve psychology |
April 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I agree with the concept of flow, and very often when we are in the flow we really do not know about it, as the subconcious brain is in control at that time.
It is very often a case of complete immersion, and the goal mmay or may not be the ultimate objective. If we start to analyse the state of flow, and conciously try to achieve that state we just might not achieve it.
I recently had the opportunity of meeting with Lord Jeffrey Archer ( who was promoting his new book _Prisoner of Birth) and he described his flow as being completely immersed in the story. At that moment nothing else exists, you are almost in the third dimension.
Almost all of us have at one time or another experienced the state of flow without our concious involvement.
Despite being a great fan of Martin Selignam, I would however beg to differ on some of his stated prerequisites, namely goal achievement, concentration and immidiate feedback. Although these might result as a byproduct or endproduct, I don’t think one enters the state of flow by conciously aiming towards it.
This state is mainly achieved when not really trying to achieve it!!!!!
April 6th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Shveita,
First of all, many thanks for having introduced me to the work of Martin Seligman. I really enjoyed reading Authentic Happiness.
Thanks as well for your comments about the prerequisites to achieving flow. I suspect Dr. Seligman is saying “try to create and environment that contains these components, and flow may come” rather than “here’s a recipe to getting into a state of flow.”
I’m very much enjoying reading about positive psychology. What would you recommend next?
April 13th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Hi Richard, I’m too interested in positive psychology. Have you read the recently published book ‘Average to A+ Realising strengths in yourself and others’ (CAPP press 2008) by Alex Linley? Here’s an extract from page 45…….
“Using strengths is such a powerful proposition because it builds on our natural capabilities and preference and does so in a way that is authentic and in keeping with the directions that we naturally want to follow - we have clear alignment and hence greatest efficiency by acting in ways that are most natural and authentic to us.”
April 14th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Lynn,
Thank you for your comment and book suggestion. I’ll check out the book today.
The Linley quote is similar to what Seligman says about the importance of identifying our strengths and aligning our work with this strengths. FYI, you can take various tests to identify those strengths at Seligman’s Website, http://www.authentichappiness.org