ABSTRACT
Achieving a state of flow is associated with positive experiences and improved sporting performance (Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi, 1999). Focused attention is a fundamental component of the flow experience, but to date there has been little investigation of whether attention plays a causal role in creating flow, or is a product of it. Consequently, this study aimed to test the effect of an attentional focus manipulation on flow and performance in a simulated driving task. It was predicted that an external focus would lead to improved visuomotor control, greater flow experience and improved performance. Thirty-three participants from a student population completed the driving task under both internal and external focus instructions. Eye movements and steering wheel movements were recorded during each race. Participants reported greater flow experience (p < .001, d = 1.78) and enhanced outcome expectancies (p = .02, d = 0.41) under external, compared to internal focus conditions, however, there was no effect on visuomotor control (gaze-steering coordination and steering entropy) or racing performance (ps > 0.28). These findings suggest that adopting an external focus of attention may contribute to positive performance states such as flow.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Gabriele Wulf for helpful discussions when designing this study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.