Abstract
Flow is a state of cognitive absorption where one is deeply focused and immersed in a self-rewarding activity. To more fully understand the state of flow and the transition into the flow state, we compared the neural dynamics of the flow state and the state before the transition into flow (i.e., pre-flow). Based on the Synchronization Theory of Flow (STF), we hypothesize that the pre-flow state exhibits greater global brain synchronization and lower synchronization dimensionality than the flow state. To test the hypotheses, we conducted a video gaming experiment with 42 subjects to capture the neural activity of the flow and pre-flow states using the electroencephalogram. The findings support our hypotheses, suggesting that the brain exhibits less global synchronization but more combinations of brain synchronization patterns in the flow than pre-flow state. This research contributes to the theoretical advancement of STF and offers practical implications for inducing flow.
Recommended Citation
Zhangguang, Kang; Eldaly, Abdelrahman B. M.; Nah, Fiona; Chan, Leanne Lai-hang; Siau, Keng; Liu, Xiao Fan; Chen, Langtao; Yelamanchili, Tejaswini; and Weber, Rene, "Comparison of Pre-Flow and Flow Neural Dynamics: A Video Gaming Study Using Electroencephalogram" (2025). SIGHCI 2024 Proceedings. 24.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sighci2024/24
