Document Detail


The psychophysiology of flow during piano playing.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20515220     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Expert performance is commonly accompanied by a subjective state of optimal experience called flow. Previous research has shown positive correlations between flow and quality of performance and suggests that flow may function as a reward signal that promotes practice. Here, piano playing was used as a flow-inducing behavior in order to analyze the relationship between subjective flow reports and psychophysiological measures. Professional classical pianists were asked to play a musical piece and then rate state flow. The performance was repeated five times in order to induce a variation in flow, keeping other factors constant, while recording the arterial pulse pressure waveform, respiration, head movements, and activity from the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major facial muscles. A significant relation was found between flow and heart period, blood pressure, heart rate variability, activity of the zygomaticus major muscle, and respiratory depth. These findings are discussed in relation to current models of emotion, attention, and expertise, and flow is proposed to be a state of effortless attention, which arises through an interaction between positive affect and high attention.
Authors:
Orjan de Manzano; Töres Theorell; László Harmat; Fredrik Ullén
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Emotion (Washington, D.C.)     Volume:  10     ISSN:  1931-1516     ISO Abbreviation:  Emotion     Publication Date:  2010 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-02     Completed Date:  2010-09-03     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101125678     Medline TA:  Emotion     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  301-11     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Neuropediatric Research Unit Q2:07, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. orjan.demanzano@ki.se
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Awareness / physiology
Blood Pressure / physiology
Electromyography
Emotions / physiology
Female
Head Movements / physiology
Heart Rate / physiology
Humans
Male
Music / psychology*
Psychomotor Performance / physiology

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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