week 9: the dark side of flow

What is mindfulness?

Non-judgmental, present-centered awareness that involves maintaining reflection self-awareness.

How is flow defined in relation to mindfulness?

A state of intense task concentration characterized specifically by a loss of self-awareness.

What is “inertia” in a psychological context?

Difficulties starting and stopping tasks, which are associated with executive function rather than personality traits.

What is “starting inertia”?

The inability to overcome a state of rest or inaction to initiate a desired or necessary task.

What is “stopping inertia”?

A state where an individual is “stuck” in a task, making it difficult to disengage or transition to something else.

What is “springy attention”?

A phenomenon often seen in autism where focus repeatedly and automatically returns to familiar/preferred stimuli.

What is “sticky attention”?

A tendency to remain deeply absorbed in a single task, making it physically or mentally difficult to redirect focus.

What is monotropism?

A cognitive strategy or tendency to focus deeply on a limited range of interests, often missing “polytropic” (broader) cues.

What is the “attentional tunnel”?

A metaphor for the way monotropic focus consumes almost all cognitive resources, leaving little room for outside information.

What is “bridging” in an educational or therapeutic context?

Using an individual’s specific interest as a hook to connect their focused attention to a new or less preferred task.

What is “dark flow”?

Deep absorption in an activity that becomes maladaptive because it overshadows higher-order goals, health, or personal values.

What are “losses disguised as wins” (LDWs)?

A slot machine mechanic where the machine triggers “winning” lights and sounds even when the payout is less than the original bet.

What is “anhedonia” in the context of extreme sports withdrawal?

A state reported by high-ability athletes where “nothing else compares” to their sport, leading to a lack of pleasure in daily life.

How does Dark Flow act as a “buffer”?

It provides a state of “escape” for depressed individuals, effectively blocking out negative daily thoughts and rumination.

What is “affect regulation” in extreme sports?

The use of high-risk activities to manage or “fix” emotional states, similar to how substances are used in drug addiction.

In the Sheldon et al. (2015) study, what was the experimental task?

101 undergraduate students were asked to play Tetris after being randomized into 3 different intervention groups: mindfulness, relaxation, and control. They were also asked to complete the Flow Short Scale three times during the game, at 1.5, 3, and 4.5 minutes.

What was the core finding of Sheldon et al. (2015) regarding mindfulness induction?

Inducing mindfulness immediately before a task specifically reduces the “absorption” component of flow.

According to Sheldon et al. (2015), does mindfulness negatively impact skill?

No; while it reduced absorption, it didn’t affect the participants’ feelings of competence, skill, or control.

What did Lu et al. (2023) find regarding VR and inertia?

Virtual Reality and tailored feedback can help autistic individuals overcome starting inertia by encouraging physical movement.

What was the focus of the Rapaport et al. (2024) study?

A qualitative study of 24 Autistic adults investigating the multifaceted nature of “autistic inertia,” including sensory and executive factors.

What positive aspect of monotropic focus did Murray et al. (2005) highlight?

It can lead to exceptional productivity and “hyperfocus” in specialized fields like data coding, mathematics, or writing.

According to Wood (2021), how do interest-led approaches affect autistic individuals?

They increate motivation and well-being while reducing the need for constant external prompting.

What did Dixon et al. (2018) discover about arousal and LDWs?

Players show physiological arousal levels for LDWs that are identical to actual wins, facilitating dark flow.

How did depression correlate with flow in the Dixon ET al. (2018) study?

Symptoms of depression were strongly and positively correlated with experiencing dark flow during multiline slot machine play.

Who were the participants in the Dixon ET al. (2019) correlational study?

129 frequent slot machine players recruited directly from a casino environment.

What is the relationship between mindfulness and gambling problems according to Dixon et al. (2019)?

Low trait mindfulness (as measured by the MAAS scale) is significantly associated with higher problem gambling scores.

According to Dixon et al. (2019), why do depressed players seek Dark Flow?

Because their negative daily affect “spills over” into the game, and flow is the only way to “rein in” that attention and escape the pain.

How did Willig (2008) differentiate the motivations of mountaineers and skydivers?

Mountaineers focused on internal challenges and flow, while skydivers emphasized the social camaraderie and “shared” flow of the group.

What was the methodology of the Heirene et al. (2016) study on rock climbing?

Qualitative interviews with 8 male rock climbers, comparing “high-ability” climbers with “average-ability” climbers.

What did Heirene et al. (2016) fin regarding high-ability climbers and abstinence?

High-ability climbers experienced powerful cravings and significant negative affect (anger/irritability) when they were unable to climb.