There are commonly-understood strategies for achieving Mihaly-style flow individually… but how does flow behave when synchronously collaborating with a group? Is it psychologically the same? Are the prerequisites the same? I think not! (great lunchtime question from )
Conversation
One connection is to Vygotsky's social learning theory, which features similar "up and to the right" charts to Mihaly. Vygotsky suggests that social interaction can expand a learner's "zone of proximal development" (i.e. the sweet spot) through even indirect communication.
1
5
Does a similar thing happen in groups in creative work? Are individuals' "zone of proximal creative possibilities" expanded? In the same way, through the same means? Dubious! Certainly, sometimes synchronous group collaborations lead to that zone *contracting*…
3
3
Pair programming was the best when in flow together.
1
Replying to
What made for a flow-y pair programming session? What made for an un-flow-y one?
Replying to
Good sessions were very high trust with very easy communication. Feeling like you understood exactly what each other meant
1
It’s been a while though, hard to remember what led to those sessions.