Flow 2.0

Stewart I. Donaldson, Ph.D., is Distinguished University Professor and Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) and the Evaluators’ Institute (TEI) at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). He is the co-founder of the first graduate and research-focused master’s degree programs in positive psychology at CGU. Professor Donaldson serves on the Council of Advisors for the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) and is President of the Western Positive Psychology Association (WPPA). He has published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and evaluation reports, and more than 20 books on positive psychology and evaluation science topics. Matthew Dubin, Ph.D., is an Organizational Psychologist and one of the leading practitioners on enabling flow at work. He is the co-founder of The Venn Collective, a culture and leadership development consultancy that utilizes flow-based principles to create peak-performing organizations. He works primarily with top-tier organizations in the media, sports, and entertainment industries, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the National Women’s Soccer League, the Toronto Blue Jays, FOX Sports, Hulu, and Paramount.

• About the Authors viiiPreface x1 The New Science and Practice of Positive Psychology: PERMA+4, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 1The Evidence Base 2PERMA and PERMA+4 Frameworks 4Flow 2.0, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 5References 7Part I What Mihaly Taught Us About Flow 92 The Basics of Flow and Optimal Experience 11Conditions of the Flow Experience 12Clear Goals 12Immediate Feedback 14The Balance Between Challenge and Skill 15Characteristics of the Flow Experience 17Complete Concentration 18Merging of Action and Awareness 19Loss of Self- Consciousness 19Sense of Control 21Losing Track of Time 22Intrinsic Motivation 23Flow in Modern Society 24References 273 Flowing Together: An Overview of Collective Flow 30Terms to Describe Flow with Others 31Ten Factors for Creating Collective Flow 32Group’s Goal 33Close Listening 35Complete Concentration 35Being in Control 36Blending Egos 37Equal Participation 38Familiarity 38Communication 39Keep it Moving Forward 40The Potential for Failure 41The Power of Collective Flow 43References 44Part II Flow 2.0 Across Life Contexts 474 Flow 2.0: New Digital and the Hybrid World of Work 49Workplace as the Setting for Finding Flow 49Positive Psychology Goes to Work 50Positive Psychology in the Workplace 2.0 51Work Engagement and Flow 53Sustaining Focus at Work in the Age of Distraction 54Facilitating Flow at Work 57Conclusion 60References 615 Finding Flow in Sports and Leisure Pursuits 64Flow and Leisure 65Going with the Flow 66Flow, TV, and Video Games 69Flow and Sports 72Conclusion 78References 796 The Future of Flow in the Digital Society 82Flow and Artificial Intelligence 86Overflow: Mitigating a Future of Digital Flow Addiction and Loneliness 88Flow in the Future: The Balance of Social Interaction in the Digital and Physical Worlds 90An Optimal Future for Optimal Experience 94References 97Part III Summing Up and Conclusions 1017 What Mihaly’s Insights Mean for Our Lives: Human Flourishing, Well- Being, and Positive Functioning in the Years Ahead 103The Legacy He Wanted to Leave: Positive Psychology 103Criticisms of Positive Psychology 109He Wanted Us to Share with the World the Power Flow Theory and Flow 2.0 111Conclusion 115References 117Selected Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 119Index 120