The Challenges of Studying Flow within a Computer-Mediated Environment

Abstract

Flow theory has been borrowed from psychology to address positive user experiences with personal computers, and more recently, the Internet. The flow experience has been correlated to increased exploratory behavior, communication, learning, positive affect, and computer use. This paper reviews the flow studies within computer-mediated environments to gain a more coherent understanding. The authors identify ambiguities in the conceptualization of flow, challenges in the operationalization of flow constructs, and difficulties in data collection.