Applications of Flow in Human Development and Education

by Csikszentmihalyi

The third volume of the collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi covers his work on the application of flow in areas that go beyond the field of leisure where the concept was first applied. Based on his personal experience with schooling and learning, as well as that of many others and contrary to what Cicero claimed, Csikszentmihalyi arrived at the conclusion that instead of taking pride in making the roots of knowledge as bitter as possible, we should try to make them sweeter. Just as flow became a popular and useful concept in voluntary activities, it could likewise be applied in education with the end result of young people being more likely to continue learning not just because they have to but because they want to. This volume brings together a number of articles in which Csikszentmihalyi develops ideas about how to make education and more generally the process of learning to live a good life, more enjoyable. Since theory is the mother of good practice, the first eleven chapters are devoted to theoretical reflections. Some are general and explore what it means to be a human being, what it means to be a person, when we look at life from the perspective of flow. Others are more narrowly focused on such topics as consumption, education, teaching and learning. They help laypeople reflect how they can arrange their lives in such a way as to leave a small ecological footprint while getting the most enjoyment. The second section of the volume contains a dozen empirical articles on similar topics. They deal with the development of identity and self-worth; with the formation of goals and motivation; with loneliness and family life.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help

516 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2014

Reviews

[W F]

on Jung: "If he could write about such things, there is not reason why I could not also…"
To really live: "to be able to express one's unique individuality, to hone one's strengths to their limits, while becoming fully part of the human network, and contributing to it."
balances of (skill/challenge), (play/seriousness), (participant/observer), (work/leisure), (enjoyment/effort), (Maslow: emotional ecstacy/intellectual illumination), (Piaget: accomodation (change the task), assimilation (change the self)), (paratelic/telic (playful))
complex person: relf-regulative capacity to move toward optimal experiences by creating better fit between self and environment; it's the border between order and chaos
dialectic models of complexity: divergent and convergent/iterative thinking; breaking and building, finding and solving problems, structure and freedom; spontaneity and logic
polarities (overcoming low/high valences: agency/communion, passion/detachment, divergent/convergent thinking, playfulness/discipline, social/nature, novelty/tradition)
the problem is not of ability, but of drive, "extraordinary motivation and support are needed to develop outstanding expertise"
longitudinal giftedness/accomplishment studies: persistence and integration
long-term ability is derived from insistance in the specific skills of interest and on integrating the field of mastery into the concept of self
relationship of achievement motivation (personality) and intrinsic motivation (experimental construct): thematic apperception test (storytelling)(apperception: relating new/old ideas)
intrinsic motivation raises expected performance; extrinsic motivation impairs outcomes
Experience Sampling Method (ESM): random pager to measure intrinsic motivation, rather than a one-time questionaire
ESM findings: unmotivated homework kills; studying for fun and enjoying classes leads to better performance; good: intrinsic motivation, concentration, and unselfconsciousness
conclusion: learning and work are most effective when they are as enjoyable as leisure