Over the years since Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first published Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the field of positive psychology has become a rigorous, evidence-based discipline. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s pioneering work on “flow,” a state in which one is completely absorbed in a task or activity, continues to make lasting, positive impacts on individuals, groups, organizations, and societies around the world.
In Flow 2.0, authors Stewart I. Donaldson and Matthew Dubin show us how their colleague’s and mentor’s contributions can be extended to improve our lives in 2024 and beyond. With an accessible and engaging narrative, the authors share what they have learned about flow over two decades of empirical research and provide a new framework designed to help us be fully engaged in our lives and flourish in complex and dynamic environments.
Seven concise chapters explore ways the world has changed since the concept of flow was first developed, introduce the basics of flow and optimal experience, examine how we in our complex social and work lives, identify the essential role of flow in the PERMA+4 framework for work-related well-being and performance, and more.
Addressing modern life contexts such as the hybrid world of work and the increasingly digital future of society, Flow 2.0: Optimal Experience in a Complex World is a must-read for all those seeking to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them.
Table of Contents
About the Authors viii
Preface x
1 The New Science and Practice of Positive Psychology: PERMA+4, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 1
The Evidence Base 2
PERMA and PERMA+4 Frameworks 4
Flow 2.0, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 5
References 7
Part I What Mihaly Taught Us About Flow 9
2 The Basics of Flow and Optimal Experience 11
Conditions of the Flow Experience 12
Clear Goals 12
Immediate Feedback 14
The Balance Between Challenge and Skill 15
Characteristics of the Flow Experience 17
Complete Concentration 18
Merging of Action and Awareness 19
Loss of Self- Consciousness 19
Sense of Control 21
Losing Track of Time 22
Intrinsic Motivation 23
Flow in Modern Society 24
References 27
3 Flowing Together: An Overview of Collective Flow 30
Terms to Describe Flow with Others 31
Ten Factors for Creating Collective Flow 32
Group’s Goal 33
Close Listening 35
Complete Concentration 35
Being in Control 36
Blending Egos 37
Equal Participation 38
Familiarity 38
Communication 39
Keep it Moving Forward 40
The Potential for Failure 41
The Power of Collective Flow 43
References 44
Part II Flow 2.0 Across Life Contexts 47
4 Flow 2.0: New Digital and the Hybrid World of Work 49
Workplace as the Setting for Finding Flow 49
Positive Psychology Goes to Work 50
Positive Psychology in the Workplace 2.0 51
Work Engagement and Flow 53
Sustaining Focus at Work in the Age of Distraction 54
Facilitating Flow at Work 57
Conclusion 60
References 61
5 Finding Flow in Sports and Leisure Pursuits 64
Flow and Leisure 65
Going with the Flow 66
Flow, TV, and Video Games 69
Flow and Sports 72
Conclusion 78
References 79
6 The Future of Flow in the Digital Society 82
Flow and Artificial Intelligence 86
Overflow: Mitigating a Future of Digital Flow Addiction and Loneliness 88
Flow in the Future: The Balance of Social Interaction in the Digital and Physical Worlds 90
An Optimal Future for Optimal Experience 94
References 97
Part III Summing Up and Conclusions 101
7 What Mihaly’s Insights Mean for Our Lives: Human Flourishing, Well- Being, and Positive Functioning in the Years Ahead 103
The Legacy He Wanted to Leave: Positive Psychology 103
Criticisms of Positive Psychology 109
He Wanted Us to Share with the World the Power Flow Theory and Flow 2.0 111
Conclusion 115
References 117
Selected Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 119
Index 120
