Changes in pupil dilation and P300 amplitude indicate the possible involvement of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in psychological flow.
Sci Rep
; 13(1): 1908, 2023 02 02.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36732597
ABSTRACT
Psychological flow is a state of full task immersion. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that psychological flow is positively related to activity of the phasic locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which supports decisions on whether to engage in or disengage from the current activity. Subjective flow was assessed among 36 participants who engaged in a gamified version of the n-back task with various difficulty levels (0, 1, 2, and 3 back). During the tasks, continuous pupil diameter and EEG were recorded. We found that psychological flow and two presumed indicators of the phasic LC-NE activity (pupil dilation and EEG P300 amplitude) fit inverted U-shapes with increasing subjective task difficulty. Moreover, a positive linear relationship between psychological flow and pupil dilation (not with P300) was found. In conclusion, this study indicates the involvement of the LC-NE system in the peak experience of flow.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Atenção
/
Locus Cerúleo
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article