Researchers have a formula for getting in the flow

The immersive and often exhilarating experience of "flow" while playing sports, making art, or working is a much sought-after state of mind associated with peak creativity and productivity, which is why artificial intelligence programmers and human resource departments alike are eager to find ways to cultivate it. But can you really order up the ingredients to achieve such a subjective experience? Yale University psychologists say yes: They have developed a mathematical theory of flow, and argue that it is possible to enhance immersion and engagement in almost any task by manipulating a few key variables. Ryan Carlson, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology, Paul Stillman, an associate research scientist in marketing at the Yale School of Management, and David Melnikoff, formerly of the Yale Department of Psychology now of Northeastern University, published their formula April 26 Communications. " These principles underlying flow may be unconscious but they are not random - and work within a biological system that can be described in mathematical terms," said Melnikoff, corresponding author of the paper. The basic equation underlying their computational theory of flow is relatively simple: it computes the mutual information between desired end states and means of attaining them, a quantity expressed as I(M;E). Exercise is one example they use to illustrate the concept. When people exercise, they have a desired end state, say, losing five pounds.