Assess the optimal psychological state of flow
Susan A. Jackson, Robert C. Eklund, & Andrew J. Martin
Most people would agree that being in flow is a great experience, but:
- How do we know when someone is experiencing flow, and what is it like when they are in this state?
- To what extent are your athletes/students/ employees/performers absorbed in, and enjoying, what they are doing?
The Flow Scales can provide answers to questions such as these. The Flow Scales assess the optimal psychological experience of flow—an experience involving total absorption in the task at hand. When in flow, one acts with confidence and ease, and usually at superior levels of performance. The Flow Scales have been used in a wide range of performance settings. We have developed a suite of scales—the Long, Short, and Core Flow Scales—providing a range of instrumentation to suit a diversity of research and applied purposes including in:
- Performance domains, such as sport, music, arts
- Work settings
- Free time activities and hobbies
- School settings
| FLOW Manual/Sampler Set Includes non-reproducible instrument and scoring key marked “sample” |
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$40.00 |  |
| FLOW Online Survey
Let Mind Garden do your data collection for you. Our Transform system* allows you to enter the email addresses of your participants - up to the purchased number - and we will administer the instrument and provide you with a csv (comma delimited) file. When you select Response Data, use the drop down menu to select one of the six scales. * click here for web-browser compatibility information Alternatively, you can administer the instrument yourself by ordering the paper form or the PDF/ electronic form. In either case, you will receive just one copy of the instrument and written license to reproduce/ administer the purchased number. Includes one copy of the scoring key - does not include the Manual (which is in development). Pricing depends on quantity - please see below. |
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| License to Reproduce/Administer | |||||
Number of |
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| 1-50 | |
$100.00 | |
$120.00 |  |
| 51-100 | |
$110.00 | |
$132.00 | |
| 101-150 | |
$135.00 | |
$162.00 | |
| 151-200 | |
$160.00 | |
$192.00 | |
| 201-250 | |
$200.00 | |
$240.00 | |
| 251-300 | |
$228.00 | |
$274.00 | |
| 301-350 | |
$252.00 | |
$302.00 | |
| 351-400 | |
$288.00 | |
$346.00 | |
| 401-450 | |
$324.00 | |
$389.00 | |
| 451-500 | |
$360.00 | |
$432.00 | |
For pricing for larger quantities, please click here |
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The Flow Scale Suite
The Flow Scales are used to assess flow, and have been developed and validated by Dr Sue Jackson and colleagues. One general characteristic of this approach to assessing flow has been to do so at two levels:
- Dispositional level: Frequency of flow experience in particular domains (e.g., sport, work, school)-these versions are known as the dispositional versions of the flow scales.
- State level: Extent of flow experienced in a particular event or activity (e.g., a race, a work project, or a test)–these versions are known as the state flow scales.
The dispositional and state flow scales are parallel forms, with wording differences reflecting whether the disposition to experience flow (Dispositional), or a specific flow experience (State), is being assessed. All versions of the scales have been validated through confirmatory factor analyses, and the scales have demonstrated good psychometric properties.
There are three main flow instruments (each of which has a dispositional and a state version):
1. LONG Flow Scales: These 36-item instruments assess the nine key dimensions of flow. These nine dimensions have been described in detail in Csikszentmihalyi’s writings about flow. They are: challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging (automaticity of actions), clear goals, unambiguous feedback (knowing how you are going), concentration on task at hand, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness (lack of worry about what others are thinking of you), a sense of time transformation, and autotelic (intrinsically enjoyable) experience.
The LONG Flow Scales (i.e., Dispositional & State) are particularly useful when a detailed picture of flow experience is important. LONG Flow provides a multidimensional approach that is grounded in Csikszentmihalyi’s conceptualization of flow. These scales are the instrument of choice for targeted interventions, and/or when a detailed understanding of the flow dimensions is important.
There are two versions of LONG Flow, which we have named LONG Flow–General, and, LONG Flow–Physical. The Long Scales–Physical were the first versions to be developed. They were developed in sport and performance settings, and several items contain words related to movement and performance. Long Flow-General scales have minor wording changes to make them adaptable to a wide range of settings. Users intending to assess people who are performing in a sport or other movement-based context should select LONG Flow–Physical. Users intending to assess people whose activity does not involve movement or some sort of physical performance, should use the LONG Flow–General Scales.
2. SHORT Flow Scales: These 9-item Dispositional and State scales are abbreviated versions of LONG Flow. One item is used to represent each of the nine flow dimensions.
The SHORT Flow Scales provide a brief assessment of the nine-dimensional flow model. They offer a concise means of assessing the dimensional flow model, and are useful when research or practical constraints prevent use of a longer scale.
3. CORE Flow Scales: These 10-item Dispositional and State scales assess what it feels like to be in flow. The aim of these scales is to tap into the phenomenology of flow–consistent with original conceptualizations of subjective optimal experience underpinning flow.
The CORE Flow Scales focus on the flow experience from the performer’s perspective. They provide an assessment of what it feels like to be in flow, and complement the more analytically-derived LONG and SHORT Flow Scales. While LONG and SHORT Flow assess the factors that comprise and/or lead to flow, CORE Flow captures the central subjective experience.
Suggested Uses of the Flow Scales
- Research instrument for studying flow, and factors associated with flow, across a variety of settings, such as work, sport, hobbies, and school;
- Research tool for measuring the effects of interventions;
- As a stimulus for discussion in performance, training, and workshop settings;
- Practitioner tool for working with clients to understand their present potential to experience flow;
- Practitioner tool for working with clients to develop skills for increasing flow.
Administration
- Administered to individuals or groups in one brief setting
- All instructions needed to administer scales included with each instrument
- Short versions take less than 5 minutes to complete; long version takes approximately 10 minutes to complete
- Age range: Validated with high school students (12 years) and older; potential for use with younger children in a read-aloud administration.
Example
Individuals respond to each item on a five-point Likert scale. The Dispositional versions assess how respondents generally feel when taking part in their nominated activity. Responses are given on a frequency scale, as shown below with example items:
When participating in my chosen activity: |
Never |
Rarely | Sometimes | Frequently | Always |
I know clearly what I want to do |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
My attention is focused entirely on what I am doing |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
For the State versions, individuals respond with respect to their experience in the event or activity in which they have just participated, on an agreement scale, as shown below with example items:
During the event of (name event): |
Strongly Disagree |
Disagree | Neither Agree nor Disagree | Agree | Strongly Agree |
I was not worried about what others may have been thinking of me |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Things just seemed to be happening automatically |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
I found the experience extremely rewarding |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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