A systematic review of flow interventions in sport and exercise

Integrating models of self-regulation and optimal experiences: A qualitative study into flow and clutch states in recreational distance running

“…The reporting of involuntary distractions during flow could have applied implications as involuntary distractions may be associated with greater exercise adherence (Brick et al, 2014). Overall, our findings support calls for researchers and applied practitioners to reconsider the content of flow interventions (Goddard et al, 2021).…”

“…Finally, with regard to cognitive strategies, most published flow interventions in sport and exercise are based on active self-regulation strategies that seek to increase self-regulatory control (e.g., mindfulness, imagery - Goddard et al, 2021). However, the runners described relaxing control during flow through distraction rather than active self-regulation.…”

Measuring optimal psychological states: Proposal of two brief versions to measure flow and clutch in athletes

“…The research field of the optimal psychological states is "reaching a crisis point" (p.25, Swann et al, 2018) due to the accumulated anomalies and new insights that scientists are observing. Several critics can be seen in different systematic reviews about the flow topic (Swann et al, 2012;Goddard et al, 2021) where the classical nine-dimensions conceptualization have been put in doubt. For example, some authors find that only five dimensions of flow were experienced at a specific event (Swann et al, 2012), and others directly say that flow research has not produced a theory, and, for that, lacks explanatory power (Goddard et al, 2021).…”

“…Several critics can be seen in different systematic reviews about the flow topic (Swann et al, 2012;Goddard et al, 2021) where the classical nine-dimensions conceptualization have been put in doubt. For example, some authors find that only five dimensions of flow were experienced at a specific event (Swann et al, 2012), and others directly say that flow research has not produced a theory, and, for that, lacks explanatory power (Goddard et al, 2021). In this ongoing process of studying flow, the use of different methodologies (Swann et al, 2012(Swann et al, , 2016a produced the identification of what can be understood as a new and different optimal psychological state: clutch.…”

“…On that point, these scales can be good tools to continue investigating the complex subjective experience of the optimal psychological states. The research in this field (reviewed in Schweickle et al, 2020;Goddard et al, 2021) brought us into a point where new scales were needed together with new insights into a better definition of flow and its relationship with what is already an optimal psychological state: clutch.…”