Cognitive Flow

Moneta, Giovanni B.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1587-1

Giovanni B. Moneta³

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Synonyms

Optimal experience

Definitions of Flow

Flow is a predominantly cognitive state of deep concentration and task absorption that makes a person feel one with the activity. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1975/2000) identified flow in the early 1970s by interviewing surgeons, rock climbers, composers, dancers, chess players, and athletes and asking them to report their experience when they engaged in the most challenging phases of their preferred endeavors. The interviews produced rich textual descriptions that shared six main themes: (1) focused concentration on the present activity, with centering of attention on a narrow stimulus field (e.g., “When I start, I really do shut out the world”), (2) merging of action and awareness (e.g., “I am so involved in what I am doing… I don’t see myself as separate from what I am doing”), (3) loss of self-consciousness (e.g., “I am less aware of myself and my problems”), (4) sense of controlover one’s own actions (e.g., “I feel immensely strong”),...

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

School of Business, National College of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Giovanni B. Moneta

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Giovanni B. Moneta
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Correspondence to Giovanni B. Moneta .

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Editors and Affiliations

Oakland University , Rochester, Michigan, USA
Jennifer Vonk
Department of Psychology, Oakland University Department of Psychology, Rochester, Michigan, USA
Todd Shackelford

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Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, USA
Sarah Dunphy-Lelii

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Moneta, G.B. (2018). Cognitive Flow. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1587-1

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1587-1
Received: 18 October 2017
Accepted: 20 October 2017
Published: 30 October 2017
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47829-6
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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Chapter history

Latest
Cognitive Flow

Published:

07 December 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1587-2
Original
Cognitive Flow

Published:

30 October 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1587-1