+

Flow

Current Issues in Web TechnologyMichael Heron

+Introduction

To round off our discussion of games, we’re going to turn to the topic of flow. This is a core feature of ‘good games’, but is not unique to

gameplay.

Flow is a positive mental state in which an individual experiences high levels of focus, immersion and enjoyment. Being absorbed in a good book Playing a piece of music Fragging some noobs

When we say we are ‘in the zone’ or ‘lost in the moment’, we are often saying ‘we are in a state of flow’

+Flow

The term was coined by the Hungarian researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi As a pronounciation guide – Mee Hi Chick Sent Me Hi Eee Henceforth known as Mihaly in this lectuire since that’s so

much easier to type.

In his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, he architected his basic thesis. People are happiest and most productive when they are a

state of absorption with the situation and context in which they function.

Flow is a desirable state of being for most people. An intrinsicly motivated state.

+Flow

Mihaly: ‘Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own

sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost’

Daniel Kahneman has argued that mental effort is a depleting resource that must be constantly renewed. Some tasks are inherently more consumptive than others.

We have no control over this except through practise and the development of skills.

We can lower the cost but not increase the amount of mental effort we ‘allocate’

+Mental Attention

Some tasks are very easy, and require the expending of very limited amounts of energy. Kahneman has discussed this in relation to the tasks Add-1 and Add-3

Add-1 Start beating a steady rhythm of one beat per second. Remove a card from a deck Wait for two bears and then read the four digits from the card

aloud. Report a string where each of the original digits is incremented

by one. 2443 would become 3554

Keeping pace is important. Add-3

The same, except add 3, rolling over where necessary.

+Mental Attention

Some tasks are more complicated, and involve the tracking of many variables and special cases: For example, count in the following video how many times the players in

white t-shirts pass the basketball. Only a pass counts for the total. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

Mental energy and attention is a finite resource, and it can be dried up through excessive use. ‘I’m burnt out’ ‘I’m so frazzled’ ‘I can’t think straight any more’

The human mind is a ruthless cost-benefit analyser. And it will try to shy away from activities that cost large amounts of mental

energy. ‘The law of least effort’

+Flow

Kanheman and Mihaly both posit flow as a mental state that consumes no (or trivial amounts) of mental energy.

It is a mental state which is not aversive to individuals. Allowing a conservation of energy because there is no need

to continually wrangle the mind into obedience.

Flow separates the two key aspects of mental activity. Concentration of attention Deliberate control of attention

For the latter, nothing is required to focus the mind. Freeing up our poor brains to just enjoy the task.

+What Creates Flow?

Four things are required to create the circumstances under which flow can be elicited. If we knew how to manufacture it, it wouldn’t be so hard to make great,

engaging products.

Four criteria: A system must have concrete goals with manageable rules.

Too abstract a goal with too complex a ruleset will not create flow. Goals that match individual abilities.

Most of us would not be able to attain flow in a game of chess with Gary Kasparov.

Clear and timely feedback We need to know when we’re doing well, and given the necessary tools

to incorporate feedback into improving performance. Distractions must be eliminated.

Only the system, none of the busywork.

+What Creates Flow?

Flow is only possible in the ‘sweet spot’ where a task is of sufficient difficulty for our level of mastery. Too hard and we can become frustrated or anxious. Too easy and we can become disinterested or bored.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_flow_the_psychology_of_.php

+States of Flow

+How does Flow feel?

It feels great. We can focus on a task without expending mental energy. We have a sense of genuine control over the outcome of

our actions. We demonstrate great improvements in performance due

to the tight link between our actions and feedback. We lose awareness of what’s going on around us.

Missing meals, appointments, showering Time becomes ‘elastic’.

‘One more turn’… ‘Wait, when did it become 8am?’ Enjoyment of the task is all that is needed as a motivation

to continue.

+Concrete Goals

The first prerequisite of flow is that we need concrete goals with manageable rules. A lack of these creates uncertainty, uncertainty disrupts flow.

Our minds have limited attentional powers. Kahneman talks about this is two separate categories, System-

1 and System 2 (known as Dual Process Theory). System 1 – thinking fast, automatic, low cognitive

requirement System 2 – Thinking slow, analytic, costly, slow and directed.

The cost to deal with uncertainty and a lack of direction requires the expending of costly system 2 attention. We start to second guess what we’re doing and why.

+Goals that match individual abilities.

Goals that are too difficult are frustrating.

Goals that are too easy are boring.

We need to hit the goldilocks zone.

Stress and a failure to master a challenge subvert flow. I just can’t do this, and it’s getting on my nerves. I’m going

to go do something else for a while.

Everyone has their own unique profile of where they get stressed and where they get excited by the difficulty of a task. But it’s usually a fairly standard bell curve.

+Performance / Stress Curve

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_flow_the_psychology_of_.php?page=2

+Clear and Timely Feedback

If we are to evoke a sense of flow, people must be able to react quickly to retain their sense of engagement. Think of the ‘window of learning’ that you have in training a dog.

Feedback should occur after the action. To indicate causality.

It should occur very quickly after the action is performed. To allow maximum link between action and consequence.

Too little feedback feels arbitrary. And frustrating.

Too late feedback feels unfair. ‘I could have done better if I had just known earlier I was doing badly’

+Limit Distractions

Flow induces a sense of cognitive processing that is not effortful. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be interrupted.

Our minds are very good at directing our attention to information of which we need to be aware. A creeping spider on the wall The cocktail effect

We have no control over those elements outside of our system. But we can minimise the distractions within it.

When distractions are needed, make them as cost-free as possible.

+Reward Systems

Flow is an intrinsic reward. It comes with no physical reward, it is a justification in and

of itself.

Human motivation is tremendously nuanced. We’re starting to come to a new understanding of why

people behave the way they do.

Daniel Pink refers to version of motivation. Motivation 1.0 – Striving to fulfil basic needs Motivation 2.0 – Sought compliance, extrinsic rewards. Motivation 3.0 – Driven by engagement and autonomy.

+Intrinsic Rewards

Intrinsic rewards come from within. You do the thing because you want to do the thing.

As university students, you are presumed that intrinsic motivations should be enough. A desire for learning Opportunities to express autonomy The development of mastery Pleasure in accomplishment.

But we also appreciate that extrinsic rewards are important. Rewards that accrue as the result of attaining a certain

outcome.

+Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation in many ways counteracts intrinsic motivation. And removing the extrinsic rewards does not repair it.

Grades, awards, degrees are all examples of extrinsic rewards. You do the thing because you want the reward.

Motivation 2.0 believes in a linear relationship between reward and performance. If I pay you twice your salary, you will work twice as hard. It’s not true.

+Extrinsic Motivation

Two famous studies show the impact. Parents and their late pickup children. Children and gold stars for fun activities.

Extrinsic rewards are valuable, but not if they are specifically linked to an action. You will get this bonus if you hit your monthly sales target. Versus - hey, you just got this award for being a valuable

employee!

Flow is a characteristic intrinsic state. People will seek it for their own reasons, rather than as a result of

rewards.

Compare that to the topic of gamification from last week.

+What does all this mean?

Whether it is games or other systems, we want to be able to facilitate a sense of flow in others. And we need to design systems accordingly.

We need to provide: Clear cues as to what should be done next.

Which disappear as a user developers mastery. Direction and context should be given during low stress

situations. Information that clearly maps onto the desired goal. Reactive difficulty or challenge New concepts and tools introduced at a rate appropriate for

the individual.

+More Guidelines on Flow

We also need to Explicitly indicate why feedback is linked to activity. And make sure that feedback occurs during the optimal

learning period. Where feedback must be done on a long scale, indicate how

short term accomplishments led to long term feedback. Limit extraneous information and distractions.

This doesn’t ensure that your systems will create a sense of flow.

But it does mean you remove most of the barriers that would otherwise prevent it.

+Further Reading

Books Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman The Concept of Flow

Webpages http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_f

low_the_psychology_of_.php

Videos http://

www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_kahneman_the_riddle_of_e

xperience_vs_memory.html

+Class Exercise

As small groups Carrying on from the gamification exercise last week.

How can we incorporate opportunities for flow in the classroom?

What elements of gamification introduced last week will frustrate or subvert out attempts to do so?

Think about flow states you have encountered in your own life. Are there lessons there that could be incorporated?

+Conclusion

Flow is an inherently desirable state for people to enter. It increases engagement and willingness to master a system.

Games are tremendously effective engines for creating flow. And we have a lot we can learn from them.

Flow is not a specifically game related concept. We can look to inspire it in many different circumstances.

There are many ways to prevent flow being achieved. But few ways to guarantee it.

We should do our hardest to ensure our systems are flow compliant.