Applications of Flow in Human Development and Education (eBook)

A Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College. He is noted for both his work in the study of happiness and creativity and also for his notoriously difficult name, in terms of pronunciation for non-native speakers of the Hungarian language, but is best known as the architect of the notion of flow and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on positive psychology. Csikszentmihalyi once said "Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished. Only through freely chosen discipline can life be enjoyed and still kept within the bounds of reason." His works are influential and are widely cited.

Contents 5
Introduction to Set ‘‘The Collected Worksof Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’’ 14
Introduction to the Volume 18
Part I Theoretical Contributions 22
1 Does Being Human Matter? 23
2 The Development of the Person: An Experiential Perspective on the Ontogenesis of Psychological Complexity 26
What is a Person? 26
Person and Personality 28
The Construction of Personhood Over the Life Span 29
Ideal Outcomes of Adult Development 32
Complexity and Development 38
Piagetian Theory and Complex Relationships 39
Optimal Experience and Development: Some Previous Perspectives 41
Flow Theory and Complex Relationships 43
Flow and Development 46
Complex Relationships and the Complex Person 48
Examples of Complexity in Later Life 52
Seven Dimensions of Complexity 54
Dialectical Thinking and Optimal Experience 61
Complexity and Wisdom 64
Complexity, Ego Control, and Ego Resiliency 67
The Foundations of Complexity in Child Development 70
The Importance of Social Context 71
An Extension of Baldwin’s Views on Development in Context 71
Parent-Child Interaction and the Growth of Complexity 74
Parenting in Adolescence 74
Parenting in Early Childhood 76
Parenting in Infancy 79
Further Thoughts on Child-Centered and Adult-Centered Parenting 82
Neoteny and Complexity: The Evolutionary Logic of Unending Childhood 84
The Syntelic Character of Play 86
Conclusions: The Role of Experience in Development 88
References 90
3 Life Themes: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration of Their Origins and Effects 99
Conceptual Definition 99
Recognition of an Existential Stress 101
Finding the Problem 102
Stating the Problem 102
Method of Solution 102
An Empirical Approach 103
Procedures 103
Results 104
John 105
Harry 106
Significant Problems of Childhood 107
George 108
Sam 108
Max 109
Patterns 109
Conclusion 111
Discussion 112
Further Concerns 113
References 114
4 The Role of Emotions in the Development of Wisdom 116
Wisdom and Knowledge: An Evolutionary Perspective 117
The Phenomenology of Wisdom 121
The Development of Wisdom 124
The Measurement of Wisdom 129
Conclusions 131
References 132
5 Reflections and Reviews 134
How Consumer Behavior Meets Existential Needs 136
The ‘‘Lower’’ Needs: Survival and Safety 136
Love and Belonging 137
The Higher Needs: Esteem and Self-actualization 138
How Consumer Behavior Meets Experiential Needs 139
Consuming in the Third Millennium 141
References 143
6 Flow and Education 145
Part One 145
Motivation and Learning 146
The Flow Experience 148
Matching Challenges and Skills 154
Part 2 157
Characteristics That Facilitate Flow 157
Questions and Answers 163
7 Learning, ‘‘Flow,’’ and Happiness 168
Happiness as Personal Development 169
A Systemic Model of the Person 171
The Conditions of Psychic Negentropy 173
The Dynamics of Personal Growth 176
Some Principles for Development of the Learning Stance 179
Suggestions for Research 186
8 Intrinsic Motivation and Effective Teaching 188
The Loss of Intrinsic Motivation 189
Intrinsic Motivation and the Process of Higher Education 191
Intrinsic Motivation and Students 192
Enjoyment in the History of Pedagogy 195
A Model of Intrinsically Rewarding Learning 196
Establishing Flow in Teaching 199
Subject Matter 199
Classroom Structure 200
References 201
9 The Social Context of Middle School: Teachers, Friends, and Activities in Montessori and Traditional School Environments 203
Importance of Social Context in Middle School 204
Montessori Ideas, Motivation Theory, and the Social Context at School 206
Method 208
Selection of Schools and Students 208
Data Collection 210
Measures 211
Analysis Plan 214
Results 214
Students’ Perceptions of Their Schools and Teachers 214
Time Use at School and Classroom Activities 215
Time with Friends, Classmates, Teachers, and Alone 216
Discussion 219
Improving the Social Context of Middle School 220
Limitations and Implications of the Study 222
Note 224
References 224
10 Do Students Care About Learning? 228
11 Flow: The Joy of Reading 239
Slide 1-Flow in Composing Music, by Czikszentmihalyi, 1975 242
Slide 2-Flow in Poetry, S. Perry, 1996 243
Slide 3-Flow in Poetry, by S. Perry, 1996 244
Slide 4-Flow in Playing the Piano, by Delle Fave, 1993 244
Slide 5-Flow in Poetry, by S. Perry, 1996 245
Slide 6-Flow in Figure Skating, by Susan Jackson, 1996 245
Slide 7-How Does it Feel to be in Flow? 245
Slides 8 and 9-How Does it Feel to be in Flow? 246
Part II Empirical Studies 250
12 The Ecology of Adolescent Activity and Experience 251
Introduction 252
Method 253
Procedure 253
Sample 253
The Self-Report Form 254
Analysis and Interpretation of the Data 255
Results 255
The Structure of Adolescent Activity Patterns 255
Experiences Associated with Adolescent Activities: Rationale, Quality of Interaction, and Moods 257
Rationale for Activities 258
Quality of Interaction 258
Moods and Physical States 260
Discussion 262
Acknowledgments 263
References 264
13 Experiential Correlates of Time Alone in Adolescence 265
Introduction 265
Method 266
Procedure 266
Sample 267
The Self-Report Form 267
Results 269
The Context of Time Alone in Adolescence 269
The Experience of Time Alone in Adolescence 269
Individual Differences: Correlates of Time Spent Alone 274
Discussion 276
Summary 278
References 278
14 Intrinsic Rewards in School Crime 280
Enjoyment and the Survival of School Systems 281
Crime and Enjoyment 282
A Theory of Enjoyment 284
Flow and School Crime 287
Antisocial Action Systems 289
Implications for the Reduction of School Crime 291
15 Mood Variability and the Psycho-social Adjustment of Adolescents 294
Introduction 295
Adolescent Variability and the Disequilibrium Model 295
Method 296
Illustration of One Person’s Mood Fluctuations 298
Are Adolescents More Variable? 300
Degree of Mood Variation 301
The Changeability of Moods 303
The Unpredictability of Moods 304
Is Mood Variability Associated with Stress, Lack of Control, and Psychosocial Maladaptation? 304
Statistical Indices of Mood Variability 306
The Relation of Mood Variability to Stress and Lack of Control 307
The Relation of Mood Variability to Psychological and Social Adjustment 309
Mood Variability and Life Style 309
Discussion 311
Acknowledgments 312
References 312
16 Affiliation Motivation and Daily Experience: Some Issues on Gender Differences 314
Method 319
Subjects 319
Data 320
Procedure 321
Results 322
Affiliation Scores 322
Expressed Wishes 322
Companions 323
Activities 323
Thoughts 324
Quality of Experience 324
Relationship Between Affiliation and Other Personality Variables 327
Discussion 328
References 332
17 Relations Between Identity in Young Adulthood and Intimacy at Midlife 336
Method 338
Sample 338
Measures 338
Results 339
Identity and Marital Status 341
Identity and Well-Being 343
Discussion 344
Identity and Intimacy 344
Identity and Well-Being 345
Generalizability of the Findings 346
Conclusion 346
References 347
18 The Quality of Experience of Asian American Adolescents in Activities Related to Future Goals 348
Introduction 349
Methods 352
Sample 352
Procedure 354
Measures 355
Quality of Experience 355
Students’ Perceptions of Activities 355
Parental Practices Concerning Academic Matter 356
Results 357
The Quality of Experience 357
Ethnic Differences in the Quality of Experience in Work-Like Activities 357
Comparison of the Quality of Experience in Situations Where the Importance to Their Future Goals is High and Low 359
Parental Practices Concerning Children’s Academic Activities 360
Discussion 363
Acknowledgments 366
References 366
19 Adolescent Happiness and Family Interaction 368
Complex Families and the Quality of Experience at Home 369
Method 371
Subjects 371
Procedure 372
Measures 372
Results 374
Happiness at Home 374
Family Complexity and Parental Practices 375
Happiness and Family Context 377
Discussion 379
The Question of Response Bias 381
General Issues and Conclusions 382
Directions for Future Research 383
Acknowledgments 384
Appendix: Parent-Practices Questionnaire (from Devereux et al. 1969) 384
References 386
20 Individual and Situational Factors Related to the Experience of Flow in Adolescence 388
The Flow Model 388
The Systematic Study and Measurement of Flow 390
Challenges and Skills as Primary Conditions for Flow 391
Limitations of Previous Research 392
Aims of the Chapter 392
Method 393
Participants 393
Instruments 394
Experience Sampling Method 394
Surveys 394
Dependent Measure: Flow 394
Independent Measures 395
Person-Level Factors 395
Situational Factors 395
Analytic Approach 397
Results 398
Analysis of Variability in Flow 398
Mean Differences in Flow by Person-Level Characteristics 398
External Dimensions of Experience 400
Time and Day 400
Activities 401
Location 401
Companionship 402
Internal Dimensions of Experience 402
A Comprehensive Model: Multilevel Influences on the Experience of Flow 403
Discussion 405
Implications for Practice 407
Implications for Research Methodology 409
Theoretical Implications 410
Limitations 410
Implications for Positive Psychology 411
Notes 411
References 412
21 A Longitudinal Study of the Self-Concepts and Experiential Components of Self-Worth and Affect Across Adolescence 415
Methods 420
Participants 420
Measures 421
Selections, Data Structures, and Missing Data 422
Stability of the Variables 422
Relations Between Variables 423
Statistical Methods 425
Mathematical Modeling of Grade Trends 425
Multilevel Modeling 427
Results 428
Basic Test of Grade Trends 428
Tests of Potential Modifiers of Grade Trends 430
Discussion 437
References 441
22 Motivation and Academic Achievement: The Effects of Personality Traits and the Quality of Experience 444
Long-Term and Short-Term Rewards 445
Personality, Motivation, and Achievement 446
Daily Experience and Academic Achievement 448
Goals of the Study 449
Method 449
Subjects 449
Measures 450
Procedure 453
Analytic Strategy 453
Results 456
The ‘‘Work-Orientation’’ Factor 456
Descriptive Statistics 456
Relations Among Work Orientation, Experience While Studying, and Grades 458
Relations Among Work Orientation, Experience while Studying and the Difficulty Level of Mathematics Courses 461
Discussion 463
References 467
23 The Experience of Leisure in Adolescence 473
Method 475
Subjects 475
Procedure: Experience Sampling 475
Results and Discussion 476
References 479
24 Student Engagement in High School Classrooms from the Perspective of Flow Theory 481
Research on Student Engagement 482
Flow Theory 483
Flow and Student Engagement 484
Rationale and Research Questions 485
Method 485
Participants 485
Instrumentation 486
Dependent Measures 486
Independent Measures 487
Procedure 488
Analyses of ESM Data 489
Results 490
How Students Spent Their Time in High School Classes 490
Phenomenological Influences on Student Engagement 490
School Subject Factors 493
Discussion 495
Limitations 497
Suggestions for Future Research 497
References 498