Validation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese dispositional flow scale 2 (DFS-BR)

Introduction: Flow state is a psychological concept used to describe the optimal engagement in different activities. Therefore, the DFS-2 has been developed as an instrument to measure an individual’s dispositional tendency to flow state as a personality trait. Objective: Aiming to obtain an adapted version of the DFS-2 for the Brazilian-Portuguese language (DFS-BR) and for general activities, we performed its forward- and backward-translation, and we validated it. Methods: After gathering answers from 681 Brazilian participants, we performed: (1) the construct validity of the DFS-BR; and (2) the psychometric item quality analysis. Results: the Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CFA) indicates the best fit for the gathered data is a nine multi-correlated factorial model (χ2/df = 4.23, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93 and RMSEA = 0.069). Reliability tests performed in this structure indicates excellent internal consistency for the DFS-BR. The item quality analysis indicates that its difficulty and discriminating parameters have a good endorsement to estimate the dispositional flow state. Additionally, we proposed and validated a short version of the DFS-BR (composed of only nine items). The validation results indicates good fit (χ2/df = 2.94, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97 and RMSEA = 0.053) and good internal consistency. The Test Information Curve of the short version indicates that it is very informative in the estimation of individual dispositional flow state. Discussion and Conclusions: In view of these results, we conclude that the DFS-BR showed good evidence of its validity to be used with Brazilian people. We also suggest the use of a short version when we need only measure the person’s flow state based on the principle of Occam’s razor. This principle is supported by the analysis presented in this article.

Does perfectionism lead to well-being? The role of flow and personality traits

Perfectionism is a personality trait that plays an important role in understanding human behavior and functioning. There has been a focus on the negative aspects and outcomes of perfectionism, and less is known about whether and how perfectionism relates to adaptive characteristics of personality and normal functioning. We investigated associations between different aspects of perfectionism and psychological well-being in two studies by determining the role of dispositional flow and personality traits in this relationship. In Study 1, participants completed questionnaires for perfectionism, psychological well-being and flow. In Study 2, personality traits from the HEXACO model of personality were additionally measured. We found that psychological well-being had a positive correlation with conscientious perfectionism and a negative correlation with self-evaluative perfectionism. Flow mediates the relationship between conscientious perfectionism and psychological well-being. There was no correlation between self-evaluative perfectionism and dispositional flow. After controlling for relevant personality traits, dispositional flow remains the mediator between conscientious perfectionism and psychological well-being, but the relation becomes negative. Implications for the understanding of how different components of perfectionism are related to psychological well-being and how flow experience contributes to this relationship are discussed.

What Does it Take to Flow? Investigating Links Between Grit, Growth Mindset, and Flow in Musicians

While it may seem effortless for great musicians to deliver beautiful works of art, little is known about the hard work behind these performances. Musicians require grit to sustain effort over many years of training but flow can sweeten this experience. Growth mindset, referring to the belief that ability is malleable, is often related to grit and has been theorized to be conducive to flow. Self-identified musicians, between 18 and 57 years of age ( N = 162), participated in an online survey investigating the potential links between grit, growth mindset, and dispositional flow. Correlational analyses revealed that grit was a significant predictor of flow but no correlations between growth mindset and grit or flow were found. Furthermore, a hierarchical regression analysis taking into account participants’ musical training, personality traits, and performance anxiety found that grit did not predict dispositional flow over and above what can be predicted by practice hours and music performance anxiety. Altogether, these findings offer a closer look at the effects of the non-cognitive factors of growth mindset and grit on the experience of flow in music performance.

What Makes Musical Prodigies?

Musical prodigies reach exceptionally high levels of achievement before adolescence. Despite longstanding interest and fascination in musical prodigies, little is known about their psychological profile. Here we assess to what extent practice, intelligence, and personality make musical prodigies a distinct category of musician. Nineteen former or current musical prodigies (aged 12–34) were compared to 35 musicians (aged 14–37) with either an early (mean age 6) or late (mean age 10) start but similar amount of musical training, and 16 non-musicians (aged 14–34). All completed a Wechsler IQ test, the Big Five Inventory, the Autism Spectrum Quotient, the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire, the Dispositional Flow Scale, and a detailed history of their lifetime music practice. None of the psychological traits distinguished musical prodigies from control musicians or non-musicians except their propensity to report flow during practice. The other aspects that differentiated musical prodigies from their peers were the intensity of their practice before adolescence, and the source of their motivation when they began to play. Thus practice, by itself, does not make a prodigy. The results are compatible with multifactorial models of expertise, with prodigies lying at the high end of the continuum. In summary, prodigies are expected to present brain predispositions facilitating their success in learning an instrument, which could be amplified by their early and intense practice happening at a moment when brain plasticity is heightened.

Benefícios psicológicos do slackline: relação entre estado de fluxo, tempo de prática e qualidade de vida

Esse estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar e mensurar o nível de estado de fluxo de praticantes de slackline e relacioná-lo com a qualidade de vida dos indivíduos. Foram avaliados 30 sujeitos com idade média de 22 (±3) anos. Os instrumentos utilizados: Ficha de identificação; Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2), Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-20) e World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQoL-BREF). Para verificar a correlação entre os instrumentos utilizou-se o coeficiente de Spearman, no qual foi possível observar elevados níveis de estado de fluxo e qualidade de vida geral. Foi encontrada correlação significativa entre o fator psicológico da qualidade de vida com a disposição para atingir o fluxo juntamente com o tempo de prática e duração da sessão de treino. Concluímos que a prática do slackline possibilita o desenvolvimento de aspectos psicológicos, como o estado de fluxo e com isso possibilita a melhora na qualidade de vida de seus praticantes.

A Person-Centered Approach in Physical Education to Better Understand Low-Motivation Students

Purpose: This study seeks to offer a motivational sequence that explains the intention of physical activity among low-motivation students. Method: Participants included 1,872 students (Mage = 15.01, SDage = 0.83 years) from three countries. A cluster analysis (i.e., a person-centered approach) and a multigroup structural equation model (i.e., a dimensional approach) were used. Results: Three motivational profiles, namely, high motivation, high motivation with low ego, and low motivation–moderate task orientation were established. The model first tested, based on previous research findings, was found not to be invariant across the different profiles. The new model tested was determined to be suitable for the low-motivation profile. Discussion: The results revealed that widely accepted motivational sequences that explain the intention to be physically active in the future may be inapplicable for the least motivated students. The findings suggest that dispositional flow may play an important role in the engagement of low-motivation students in future physical activity.