Are We in Flow Neurophysiological Correlates of Flow States in a Collaborative Game

Abstract

Playing video games with a partner can be fun, but are the players in flow? The study of flow, a state of intense immersion in an activity, is an important element of game research. Recently, partners in multiplayer games have been shown to impact a player's flow state. However, as flow can be difficult to assess during a game, brain activity, measured with electroencephalography, has recently been employed as a tool to evaluate flow state continuously and without bias. Thus, this paper investigates the relationship between two partners' flow states and brain activity. We carried out a preliminary empirical study in which participants played doubles in a tennis game, while EEG data and psychometric measures were acquired. Our results show an interaction between a player's neurophysiological activity and a partner's flow state. In the long run, this work opens the door for games designed to optimize positive emotional contagion.