Flow 2.0: Optimal Experience in a Complex World. Honoring Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Legacy(Positive Psychology and Well-Being)

How the pioneering co-founder of the field of positive psychology can help us navigate our increasingly complicated world Over the years since Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first published Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the field of positive psychology has become a rigorous, evidence-based discipline. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s pioneering work on “flow,” a state in which one is completely absorbed in a task or activity, continues to make lasting, positive impacts on individuals, groups, organizations, and societies around the world. In Flow 2.0, authors Stewart I. Donaldson and Matthew Dubin show us how their colleague’s and mentor’s contributions can be extended to improve our lives in 2024 and beyond. With an accessible and engaging narrative, the authors share what they have learned about flow over two decades of empirical research and provide a new framework designed to help us be fully engaged in our lives and flourish in complex and dynamic environments. Seven concise chapters explore ways the world has changed since the concept of flow was first developed, introduce the basics of flow and optimal experience, examine how we in our complex social and work lives, identify the essential role of flow in the PERMA+4 framework for work-related well-being and performance, and more. Addressing modern life contexts such as the hybrid world of work and the increasingly digital future of society, Flow 2.0: Optimal Experience in a Complex World is a must-read for all those seeking to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors viii Preface x 1 The New Science and Practice of Positive Psychology: PERMA+4, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 1 The Evidence Base 2 PERMA and PERMA+4 Frameworks 4 Flow 2.0, Optimal Experience, and Beyond 5 References 7 Part I What Mihaly Taught Us About Flow 9 2 The Basics of Flow and Optimal Experience 11 Conditions of the Flow Experience 12 Clear Goals 12 Immediate Feedback 14 The Balance Between Challenge and Skill 15 Characteristics of the Flow Experience 17 Complete Concentration 18 Merging of Action and Awareness 19 Loss of Self- Consciousness 19 Sense of Control 21 Losing Track of Time 22 Intrinsic Motivation 23 Flow in Modern Society 24 References 27 3 Flowing Together: An Overview of Collective Flow 30 Terms to Describe Flow with Others 31 Ten Factors for Creating Collective Flow 32 Group’s Goal 33 Close Listening 35 Complete Concentration 35 Being in Control 36 Blending Egos 37 Equal Participation 38 Familiarity 38 Communication 39 Keep it Moving Forward 40 The Potential for Failure 41 The Power of Collective Flow 43 References 44 Part II Flow 2.0 Across Life Contexts 47 4 Flow 2.0: New Digital and the Hybrid World of Work 49 Workplace as the Setting for Finding Flow 49 Positive Psychology Goes to Work 50 Positive Psychology in the Workplace 2.0 51 Work Engagement and Flow 53 Sustaining Focus at Work in the Age of Distraction 54 Facilitating Flow at Work 57 Conclusion 60 References 61 5 Finding Flow in Sports and Leisure Pursuits 64 Flow and Leisure 65 Going with the Flow 66 Flow, TV, and Video Games 69 Flow and Sports 72 Conclusion 78 References 79 6 The Future of Flow in the Digital Society 82 Flow and Artificial Intelligence 86 Overflow: Mitigating a Future of Digital Flow Addiction and Loneliness 88 Flow in the Future: The Balance of Social Interaction in the Digital and Physical Worlds 90 An Optimal Future for Optimal Experience 94 References 97 Part III Summing Up and Conclusions 101 7 What Mihaly’s Insights Mean for Our Lives: Human Flourishing, Well- Being, and Positive Functioning in the Years Ahead 103 The Legacy He Wanted to Leave: Positive Psychology 103 Criticisms of Positive Psychology 109 He Wanted Us to Share with the World the Power Flow Theory and Flow 2.0 111 Conclusion 115 References 117 Selected Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 119 Index 120

About the Author :
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.