Musical Flow in Context: Factorial Validation of the European Portuguese Version of the Flow State Scale-1

This study aimed to adapt and conduct a preliminary psychometric evaluation of a European Portuguese version of the Flow State Scale-1 (FSS-1) for use with musicians, addressing the lack of a validated instrument in this language to assess flow in musical performance. A total of 194 musicians (91 female, 75 male and 28 who did not report their gender; mean age = 23.14, standard deviation = 6.69) participated, with an average of 12.22 years of instrumental experience. The adaptation process included translation, back-translation, expert consensus and pilot testing for semantic clarity, followed by confirmatory factor analysis to examine internal structure. The nine-factor model showed good fit indices (chi-square/degree of freedom = 1.70; comparative fit index = .99; Tucker–Lewis index = .98; root mean square error of approximation = .06). Internal consistency was satisfactory, with McDonald's omega ranging from .74 to .91 and composite reliability ≥.80 for all factors. Factor 9 (autotelic experience), reflecting the intrinsic reward of the musical experience, showed the strongest psychometric indicators. These results provide preliminary evidence that the European Portuguese version of the FSS-1 is internally consistent and theoretically coherent for the assessment of flow in musical performance. The scale may support future research and applied use, pending further evidence of validity.