Abstract
Flow is a state of full task engagement that is accompanied with low-levels of self-referential thinking. Flow is considered highly relevant for human performance and well-being and has, therefore, been studied extensively. Yet, the neurocognitive processes of flow remain largely unclear. In the present mini-review we focus on how the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system may be involved in a range of behavioral and subjective manifestations of flow. The LC-NE system regulates decisions regarding task engagement vs. disengagement. This is done via different modes of baseline and stimulus-evoked norepinephrine release. We emphasize the theoretical and empirical overlap between the LC-NE system and flow. For both, a match between a person's skill and task challenge is important in order to induce high levels task-related attention. Moreover, psychophysiological indicators of LC-NE system activity, such as eye pupil diameter and arousal are also sensitive to flow states. Flow is related to arousal in an inverted U-shape. Similarly, in theories on the LC-NE system, task engagement is highest with intermediate levels of arousal. We argue that knowledge about the role of the LC-NE system in establishing the flow experience may help to gain fundamental knowledge of flow and can contribute to unifying various empirical findings on this topic.
Highlights
A well-known phenomenon in research on human performance is “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, 2014), a state of full task engagement and low levels of self-referential thinking
The present review focuses on the presumed role of the locus coeruleus norepinephrine (LC-NE) system in flow
(2016) explained how fluctuations in locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) output are closely intertwined with DMN activity in relation to “off-task states” and self-referential thinking. They stated that DMN activity is down-regulated by the exploitation mode, and up-regulated by the exploration mode. This suggest that the LC-NE system may play an even more central role in flow than was indicated in Van der Linden et al (2021), because the system would relate to attentional focus, but may contribute to lowered levels of self-referential thinking during flow
Summary
A well-known phenomenon in research on human performance is “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, 2014), a state of full task engagement and low levels of self-referential thinking (e.g., worrying, self-reflection). Knowledge about the brain processes could help to examine whether flow has unique features, or alternatively, may reflect an extreme level of task focus or sustained attention (Unsworth and Robison, 2017) In case of the latter, flow possibly may have to be assimilated in the general attentional literature. In line with hypofrontality theory, periods of flow were characterized by lowered frontal lobe activity, compared to more stressful task periods Besides such specific neuropsychological findings there has been increased effort to integrate such findings into more comprehensive models on how the brain establishes flow (e.g., Harris et al, 2017). To the best of our knowledge, the first time the possible relationship between the LC-NE system and flow was proposed, was in the review of Van der Linden et al (2021) Understanding the role of the LC-NE system in flow is imperative because, as we will argue, it would allow a reconciliation of the literature on arousal and the neuroscience of attention, with the literature of flow
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