Flow State Scale–2

What it measures

Measures the experience of flow — Csikszentmihalyi's optimal experience of complete absorption, effortless performance, and intrinsic reward — in sport and exercise. The FSS-2 captures all nine dimensions of flow as a state experienced during a specific activity. Flow is associated with peak performance, intrinsic motivation, and positive wellbeing.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree) — administered immediately after activity

Representative items

• I felt challenged, but believed my skills would allow me to meet the challenge. (Challenge-Skill Balance)
• I performed automatically, without thinking too much. (Action-Awareness Merging)
• I had a strong sense of what I wanted to do. (Clear Goals)
• I was not concerned with what others may have been thinking of me. (Loss of Self-Consciousness)
• The experience left me feeling great. (Autotelic Experience)

Usage notes & scoring

Nine subscale scores and a total. Administered immediately after an activity bout. The Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) measures the tendency to experience flow generally. Freely available from Susan Jackson.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Jackson, S.A., & Eklund, R.C. (2002). Assessing flow in physical activity: The Flow State Scale-2 and Dispositional Flow Scale-2. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 24(2), 133–150.

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