Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (pronounced|ˈmihaːj tʃiːkˈsɛntmihaːji) (born September 29, 1934, in Fiume, Italy - now Croatia) is a Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now he is at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California and is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College. He is noted for his work in the study of happiness, creativity, subjective well-being, and fun, but is best known as the architect of the notion of "flow" and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on positive psychology. [http://www.brainchannels.com/thinker/mihaly.html] He is one of the most widely cited psychologists today,Fact|date=February 2007 in a variety of fields related to psychology and business.

He received his B.A. in 1960 and his Ph.D. in 1965, both from the University of Chicago. He is the father of MIT Media Lab associate professor Christopher Csíkszentmihályi and University of Wisconsin at Madison professor of philosophical and religious traditions of China and East Asia, Mark Csíkszentmihályi.

Flow

In his seminal work, 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience', Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are most happy when they are in a state of "flow"— a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being "in the zone" or "in the groove." The flow state is an optimal state of "intrinsic motivation," where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. This is a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great freedom, enjoyment, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored.Fact|date=September 2007

In an interview with Wired magazine, Csíkszentmihályi described flow as "being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost." [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.09/czik.html]

To achieve a flow state, a balance must be struck between the challenge of the task and the skill of the performer. If the task is too easy or too difficult, flow cannot occur.

The flow state also implies a kind of "focused attention," and indeed, it has been noted that mindfulness meditation, yoga, and martial arts seem to improve a person's capacity for flow. Among other benefits, all of these activities train and improve attention.

In short; flow could be described as a state where attention, motivation, and the situation meet, resulting in a kind of productive harmony or feedback.

See also

* Creativity
* Motivation
* Attention
* Psychology
* Cognitive Science

References

* Csikszentmihalyi, Mihalyi (1978) Intrinsic Rewards and Emergent Motivation in The Hidden Costs of Reward : New Perspectives on the Psychology of Human Motivation eds Lepper, Mark R;Greene, David, Erlbaum: Hillsdale: NY 205-216
* Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1990). "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience". New York: Harper and Row. ISBN 0-06-092043-2
* Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1996). "Creativity : Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention". New York: Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-06-092820-4
* Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly (1998). "Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life". Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02411-4 (a popular exposition emphasizing technique)
* Gardner, Howard, Csíkszentmihályi, Mihaly, and Damon, William (2002). "Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet". New York, Basic Books.
* Geirland, John (1996). [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.09/czik_pr.html Go With The Flow] . "Wired" magazine, September, Issue 4.09.

External links

* [http://www.cgu.edu/pages/4751.asp Faculty page] at Claremont Graduate University
* [http://www.brainchannels.com/thinker/mihaly.html Brain Channels Thinker of the Year - 2000]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2868591389059000099&q=csikszentmihalyi&total=14&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0 Interview with Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi, 2006]