Quando o jogo flui: uma investigação sobre a teoria do fluxo no voleibol

Abstract

Athletes’ subjective states and experience generally are neglected in sport research due to an emphasis on performance and competitive outcomes. Flow is a concept of much importance and direct relevance to sport. The flow state describes an optimal mental state in which performers become completely absorbed in their task, actions are performed effortlessly, and the sense of time passage is distorted. A flow state can occur at any level of skill when there is an optimal balance between a perceived challenge and one’s skill level. Both performance and experience are often enhanced in flow states. The purpose of this study was to discuss how the concept of flow can increase the understanding of athletes’ subjective experiences. Conceptual and issues with respect flow research in sport were presented, followed by two studies conducted in order to understand how this optimal state is experienced by volleyball players. The first study, a qualitative investigation into the flow experiences of athletes was conducted in order to gain greater insight into the nature of flow in volleyball. Twelve players were interviewed on optimal playing experience, and then questioned extensively about factors associated with achieving optimal mental states during performance. Correspondence was found between the dimensions of flow, as described by Csikszentmihalyi (1990), and the athletes’ descriptions of their experiences of flow; some dimensions received greater support though the qualitative analysis of the athletes’ descriptions than did other dimensions. Those dimensions of flow most represented across the group’s data were the autotelic experience of flow, balance between skills and challenges, sense of control and total concentration. The second study investigated the relationship among flow and other psychological variables as motivation, goal orientation, self-efficacy and perceived ability. Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the psychological correlates of flow state. Positive patterns of relationship were found between flow and perceived ability, self efficacy and task orientation. Understanding flow and its relationship with other psychological variables are discussed.