Creative Flow States and Subjective Time Progression

There has yet to be a formal understanding of the differences between types of flow tasks and their relationships with time distortion. Anecdotal accounts of time distortions have been reported by individuals, however, the research in this area is limited. Similarly, the differences between types of tasks regarding flow states have been alluded to, but not formally studied. Moreover, flow states themselves have been difficult to measure objectively since currently, such measurements rely on self-report scales. Thus, this research aimed to contribute to the body of knowledge concerning flow states by measuring them in an objective manner. We hypothesized that the experience of a flow state would predict the experience of a significant time distortion. Further, we expected participants who experienced a flow state during a creative task would experience a higher degree of time distortion relative to participants who experienced a flow state during a non-creative task. We hypothesized that the presence of a time distortion during flow tasks would predict higher scores on these flow tasks. To examine these hypotheses, we recruited 77 undergraduate Drexel University students, half of whom were randomly assigned to complete a creative task, the Uncommon Uses Task (UUT), or a non-creative counterpart task, the Common Uses Task (CUT). All participants answered questions pertaining to their mood (PANAS) and a Flow questionnaire (Flow Short Scale) for baseline and post-task recording of flow. Post-task, their estimation of time passed was recorded, which was compared to the actual amount of time they spent on their respective tasks. There were no significant differences between types of task on time subjective progression. Similarly, time distortion was not predictive of flow scores. However, flow scores during the non-creative tasks were significantly higher than those during the creative tasks. Mood was predictive of time subjective progression. Lastly, the flow score did not predict either of the tasks' scores. These findings contribute to our understanding of flow states. No evidence was found to support anecdotal accounts of time distortions or better task performance during flow states. On the other hand, such time distortions may be related to mood rather than flow states, a finding that holds promise for future research directions on flow.