A meta-analysis of flow effects and the perception of time

An altered sense of the experience of time represents one of the nine dimensions that is conceived as characterizing a state of flow. While a number of other factors necessarily contribute to this overall experience of flow, subjective time perception is of particular quantitative interest and thus serves as the focus of the present meta-analysis. The extant body of relevant quantitative research was evaluated to identify data relating to both flow and change in the sense of time. Sixty-three (n = 63) articles were determined to qualify under the current specified inclusion criteria. These sixty-three studies yielded one thousand and ninety-four (n = 1094) effect sizes. All studies included in the meta-analysis were also coded for relevant moderator variables. Results indicated moderately positive correlations between affective, consciousness, and performance based aspects of flow (r = 0.4, 0.21, 0.17 respectively), thus reinforcing the original conceptualization of their relationship for the generation and maintenance of the flow state. Additionally, variations in environmental conditions (both physical and social) were found to have differential effects on the overall level of experienced flow. The results of this meta-analysis also serve to inform the process of further model development that can more accurately quantify and predict temporal perception as one metric of flow.