On intrinsic motivation, flow, and absorption: a new theoretical perspective

Two categories of intrinsic motivation are identified, one involving active, generative pursuits, the other relatively passive, appreciative activities. Descriptively, they differ in at least four characteristics. though both give rise to essentially the same subjective experiences, including intense involvement, the merging of action and awareness, a loss of self-consciousness, and distortions in the experience of time. For active generative undertakings, the conditions of flow as described by Csikszentmihalyi are present and the associated emotion is labeled flow. For relatively passive, appreciative activities, the same emotion is labeled absorption. Similar to emotions such as fear, anger, and love, for which variants exist, flow and absorption serve different functions and have different consequences regarding psychological functioning. Whereas a well-established theory exists for the understanding of flow, a comparable theory does not currently exist for appreciative processes. The outlines for such a theory are advanced.