Abstract
Csíkszentmihályi and LeFevre sampled 78 workers across a week and found that the quality of experience depends far more on being in flow (high challenges met by high skills) than on whether a person is working or at leisure — and that most flow is reported at work, even though people feel more motivated in leisure.
Csíkszentmihályi, M., & LeFevre, J. (1989). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56(5), 815–822. DOI
Key findings
- Flow over context — Experience quality tracks flow more than the work/leisure distinction.
- Flow happens at work — The majority of flow episodes were reported during work, not leisure.
- The paradox of motivation — People felt more motivated in leisure yet had better experiences in flow at work.
When to open this
Open alongside Flow for the field evidence that engineered challenge — not free time — is what produces optimal experience.