Flow Theory

Definition and Attributes

Flow is defined as an autotelic and intrinsically motivating experience. It is characterized by (a) focused attention to an activity with an accomplishable goal and interactive feedback; (b) loss of self-consciousness; (c) intrinsic reward, interest, and curiosity; (d) temporal distortion; and (e) optimal balance between the difficulty of the task and the skill of the performer or media user. Focused attention refers to intense concentration on or immersion in what an individual is doing at the present moment. Loss of self-consciousness means losing awareness of oneself when engaged in absorbing activities. This concept is relevant to feelings of self-presence, referring to a psychological state in which the boundary between the actual self and the virtual or mediated self is blurred. Intrinsic reward refers to inherently pleasurable and motivating activity for its own sake. Temporal distortion means losing track of time while engaging in a certain activity. For example, movie watchers and video game players often have a sense that time has passed more quickly than usual. Optimal balance between challenge and skill, referring to a match between the difficulty level of a certain task or activity and the cognitive ability or skill level of an individual, is an integral condition for experiencing a flow state. Too-easy tasks result in boredom, whereas too-challenging tasks result in frustration, thus hampering the realization of flow.

Flow and Media Enjoyment

Communication scholar John Sherry (2004) has argued that enjoyment of media results from a flow experience that is realized when there is a balance between media message contents and a user’s ability to interpret that message. Driven by the neurophysiological perspective (NPP), communication scholars Rene Weber, Ron Tamborini, Amber Westcott-Baker, and Benjamin Kantor (2009) have theorized flow and media enjoyment as cognitive synchronization of attentional and reward networks. Media scholar Seung-A Annie Jin (2012) argued that physical presence, spatial presence (telepresence), and self-presence are important mediators that link the paths between antecedents to and consequences of flow in entertainment media. She also provided empirical evidence supporting the theoretical proposition that the fit between skill and challenge is a necessary condition for the emergence of flow across various video game genres.

Flow and Enjoyment of Violent Media

People enjoy violent media content in print media like books and in motion pictures like animations, television programs, and movies. Violent media depict characters being attacked or physically injured by others. Violence in media is enjoyable because it offers pleasurable gratifications. Research has suggested that people like violent films because they feature destruction or provide thrills, excitement, and unpredictability. Media psychologists Cynthia Hoffner and Kenneth Levine (2005) have claimed that it is possible that some violent content in media that produce negative emotions elicit interest or enjoyment.

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