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Flow State Scale

From awareness to a mastery project

The complexity of Flow’s experience has led several authors – over the years – to develop techniques, protocols and tools that favor its empirical evaluation.

Of particular interest is the Flow State Scale, developed by two researchers from the University of Queensland in Brisbane (Australia), Susan A. Jackson and Herbert W. Marsh.

The Flow State Scale identifies 9 subscales that correspond to the nine fundamental dimensions of Flow. It is a self-report tool aimed at investigating the perception of the flow experience, considered in its situational component.

The request is to recall a specific situation of optimal performance, an episode characterized by total absorption in the activity practiced and a feeling of profound satisfaction: this allows for understanding and replication in optimal situations.

The translation of the Flow State Scale into Italian did not involve any structural changes, as the semantic connotation remained unchanged. In 2012 it was validated in its status version (Muzio & All.) and in its section in 2017 (Riva & All.).

Initially designed to investigate sporting activity, it was only later extended to other contexts, in particular to the corporate one.