A Longitudinal Examination of Flow as a Predictor of Recreational Exercise

Flow state is a valued psychological state of enjoyment and well-being. It is characterized by feelings of intrinsic self-reward and marked by nine dimensions theorized to contribute to flow state. Flow has been studied mostly in elite athletes, whom report highly lucid flow experiences; to a much lesser extent it has been studied in recreational exercisers. Most prior research methodologies involve experience sampling or qualitative techniques, such as interviewing. Only one demonstrably valid and reliable flow instrument is widely available for efficient, quantitative measure of flow experiences. This study measures flow longitudinally in a recreational exercising population by comparing a new flow instrument with the established one. The new instrument’s psychometric properties are analyzed, and measures of convergent and divergent validity are provided, as well as internal consistency and factor structure. This study also examines the predictive powers of the new instrument and the existing instrument in predicting exercise frequency at four-month follow-up.