Have you ever been so intensely concentrated on an activity—playing a video game, diving into a captivating book, and so forth—that when you finally glance away, hours seem to have vanished in an instant? This phenomenon is commonly recognized as the flow state: a condition of deep focus accompanied by a warped perception of time. Research indicates that engaging in flow state positively influences both happiness and productivity.
A new study led by Caltech investigates the concept of “team flow,” wherein individuals experience a flow state collectively. Just like a fingerprint, the brain’s electrical activity appears distinctive from individual to individual, even during a flow state (whether in a team or alone). By analyzing the brainwaves of participants as they engaged in a cooperative video game, the scientists found that individuals whose neural patterns or “neuronal traits” were alike found it easier to attain a team flow state together.
The findings are detailed in a study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
This research was a joint effort between the Caltech laboratory of Shinsuke Shimojo, the Gertrude Baltimore Professor of Experimental Psychology, and the laboratory of Mohammad Shehata at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan. Shehata is also a visiting associate in biology and biological engineering at Caltech.
“The notion of flow state is deeply rooted in positive psychology,” Shehata remarks. “It benefits mental wellness and productivity while avoiding burnout. Numerous individuals have felt this ‘energy,’ and now we aim to define it using psychophysics and neuroscience.”
The study built upon prior research that looked into flow state when pairs of participants teamed up to play a video game. This game necessitates players to press buttons with precise timing, akin to performing a musical piece, similar to the well-known game Guitar Hero. To evaluate team flow, participants had to collaborate on the game, with each taking responsibility for pressing specific keys. The researchers assessed the participants’ brain activity through an electroencephalogram (EEG), a non-invasive approach involving electrodes placed on the scalp. While participants were engaged in the game within a secluded room, the researchers would knock on the door. An individual in a true flow state would be capable of disregarding the interruptions.
Subsequently, each participant’s EEG data for team, solo, and non-flow states were mapped into a multidimensional realm. The team discovered that the nearer two participants’ readings were within this realm, the more likely they would enter into a team flow dynamic while collaborating.
Crucially, an individual’s EEG patterns vary based on the activity being performed. For instance, while two participants might exhibit significant neural divergence during a rhythm game—that is, not in a team flow state—they might manage to synchronize well during a different task, such as solving mathematical questions or playing a sport.
“There are immense potential applications for this research,” Shehata notes. “It could be utilized to assemble highly compatible teams that perform excellently, for instance, on extended space missions.”
Shimojo adds, “Our aim is to further explore the neural signatures associated with the team flow state, allowing us to ultimately anticipate, based on brain activity profiling, who would likely excel together in a team setting.”
The article is titled “A hierarchical trait and state model for decoding dyadic social interactions.” Caltech graduate student Qianying Wu serves as the lead author. In addition to Wu, Shehata, and Shimojo, Shigeki Nakauchi from Toyohashi University of Technology is also a co-author. This research received funding from the Japan Society for Promotion of Science and the Japan Science and Technology Agency. Wu was additionally supported by the National Institutes for Mental Health Conte Center at Caltech, the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech, and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. Shimojo is an affiliated faculty member with the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech.