A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Experiences of absorption and smooth performance during flow are linked to different aspects of creative thinking
Authors: Koivisto, Mika
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Consciousness and Cognition
Article number: 104060
Volume: 142
ISSN: 1053-8100
eISSN: 1090-2376
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2026.104060
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2026.104060
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/523236865
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Flow, an experience of deep immersion and smooth, effortless performance, is frequently linked to creativity. However, its specific relationship with the core cognitive mechanisms of creative ideation remains unclear. This study (n = 400) investigated how the smooth and immersive dimensions of flow relate to divergent thinking, measured using the Alternate Uses Task (AUT), and how they relate to the spontaneous flow of associations, assessed with the Forward Flow task. State flow was measured in relation to experiences during the AUT, in which participants were required to invent creative uses for common objects. The AUT elicited a partial flow state in which the smooth dimension, in particular, was not fully realized. Smooth performance was associated with increased idea productivity but decreased creativity, especially when responding required inhibition of conventional associations to semantically rich probes. Conversely, immersion was positively associated with creativity and semantic distance, suggesting that deep attentional engagement may facilitate access to remote associations and promote creative ideation. The spontaneous flow of associations (FF) predicted originality and creativity in the AUT independently of flow. The results suggest that the state experienced during the generation of creative uses can be considered a partial flow, or microflow, that does not meet all the requirements of full flow, and that the relative intensity of the smooth and immersive components is associated with a trade-off between the quantity and quality of the outputs.
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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the Turku University Foundation [grant number 57-13513]
