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Cortisol effects on flow-experience.
Corinna Peifer1, Hartmut Schächinger, Stefan Engeser
1Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University Lueneburg, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335, Lueneburg, Germany, corinna.peifer@gmx.de.
Psychopharmacology
|October 12, 2014
Summary
High cortisol levels impair flow-experience, the state of complete immersion. This study demonstrates that exogenous cortisol negatively impacts this experience, supporting an inverted U-shaped relationship between cortisol and flow.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Stress is known to impact flow-experience, but the underlying psychobiological mechanisms are not fully understood.
- Previous research suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between cortisol levels and flow-experience, though confounding stress factors could not be ruled out.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the isolated effect of cortisol on flow-experience.
- To determine if exogenous cortisol administration impacts flow-experience independently of other stress responses.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study involving 64 healthy participants.
- Participants received either 20 mg of oral cortisol or a placebo, followed by playing the computer game Pacman.
- Flow-experience was assessed using the Flow Short Scale after blocks of varying difficulty.
Main Results:
- Oral administration of 20 mg cortisol significantly impaired flow-experience.
- No significant gender differences were observed in the effect of cortisol on flow-experience.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first evidence that exogenous cortisol, at a dose mimicking severe stress, diminishes flow-experience.
- The findings support the hypothesis of an inverted U-shaped relationship between cortisol levels and the capacity for flow.
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