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A main reason to play computer games is the pleasure of being immersed in a mediated world.Spatial presenceandfloware considered key concepts to explain such immersive experiences. However, little attention has been paid to the connection between the two concepts. Thus, we empirically examined the relationship between presence and flow in the context of a computer role-playing game (), a racing game (), and a jump and run game (). In all three studies, factor analysis revealed that presence and flow are distinct constructs, which do hardly share common variance. We conclude that presence refers to the sensation of being there in the mediated world, whereas flow rather refers to the sensation of being involved in the gaming action. Further analyses showed that flow and presence depend on motivation and immersive tendency. In addition, flow and presence enhanced performance as well as enjoyment.

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Previous research studies in the context of presence point out the importance of personality factors. Surprisingly, the relation between immersion and the Big Five personality factors has not yet been examined. Hence, we assessed these traits in an online survey (N = 220) and relate them to immersive tendency, a disposition that determines whether someone is receptive to immersive experiences during media exposure. Using structural equation modeling, we can show that openness to experience, neuroticism, and extraversion are positively related to immersive tendency. The immersive tendency subscale absorption is related to openness to experience, whereas the immersive tendency subscale emotional involvement is related to openness, extraversion, and neuroticism.