A Comparative Study on the Flow Experience in Web-Based and Text-Based Interaction Environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore a substantial phenomenon related to flow experiences (immersion) in text-based interaction systems. Most previous research emphasizes the effects of challenge/skill, focused attention, telepresence, web characteristics, and systems' interface design on users' flow experiences in online environments. However, text-based interaction systems without telepresence features and web characteristics still seem to create opportunities for flow experience. To explore this phenomenon, this study incorporates subject involvement and interpersonal interaction as critical antecedents into the model of flow experience, as well as considers the existence of telepresence. Results reveal that subject involvement, interpersonal interaction, and interactivity speed are critical to focused attention, which enhances users' immersion. With regard to the effect of telepresence, the perceived attractiveness of the interface is a significant facilitator determining users' immersion in web-based, rather than in text-based, interaction environments. Interactivity speed is unrelated to immersion in both web-based and text-based interaction environments. The influence of interpersonal involvement is diminished in web-based interaction environments. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Video game characteristics, happiness and flow as predictors of addiction among video game players: A pilot study

“…Certain, as yet uncovered, facets of gaming experiences may be more crucial to determining a video game player's tendencies to become addicted to a certain game or in getting into a state of flow while playing it. Rather, it is possible that other factors may more crucial to getting into a flow state when gaming, such as the speed with which the gamer can interact with the gaming environment or the need for a focused attentional state (Huang, Chiu, Sung & Farn, 2011). …”

“…This taxonomy was based on the seminal work by Wood, Griffiths, Chappell and Davies (2004) who identified inherent characteristics of a video game that were structural and likely to induce initial gaming activities or maintenance of gaming, irrespective of any other differentiating factor such as the socioeconomic status, age, sex, and so forth. There has also been preliminary recent evidence (King, Delfabbro & Griffiths, 2011) to demonstrate that some structural features inherent in certain games are particularly associated with problematic behaviour that could pose a risk to players of having increased video game addiction tendencies. For example, King, Delfabbro and Griffiths (2011) found that video game players who were exhibiting problematic tendencies were more likely than so-called ‘normal’ players to look to games that provided increasing rewards in the game (e.g.…”

Flow experience, attentional control, and emotion regulation: contributions for a positive development in adolescents

“…Internal dimensions of the subjective experience such as the autonomy (wanting to do the experience), the balance of high challenges and high skills, the importance of the activity, the perception of success at the activity and focused attention explained 45% of the variation in flow in adolescents' daily life . Huang, Chiu, Sung, and Farn (2011) also found that focused attention was a critical determinant of the immersion dimension of flow, but, specifically, in web-based and text-based interaction environments. In a recent qualitative study of Choe et al (2015), adolescents (16 to 18 years) identified the sense of control as the psychological condition that facilitates students' flow in learning.…”

Impact of violent video game realism on the self-concept of aggressiveness assessed with explicit and implicit measures

“…In a cyclic fashion, the more flow a gamer experiences, the stronger the sense of immersion into virtual reality. Though immersion and flow can be disentangled, they are conceptually and empirically related (Faiola, Newlon, Pfaff, & Smyslova, 2013); many authors simply equate the two (see also Huang, Chiu, Sung, & Farn, 2011). Also the scale we used (see Methods) refers to telepresence and immersive aspects of flow; hence for the present purpose we will use the terms ''flow'' and ''immersion'' interchangeably.…”