An Examination of Motivational Characteristics and Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Conducive to Experiencing Flow

Abstract

The present study examined the degree to which college students’ motivational characteristics and perceptions of their academic self-efficacy were related to trait flow. Participants consisted of students attending a large, public university in the Midwest and from those obtained from an online recruitment platform (n = 230). Several assessments were administered to measure flow, academic motivation, and academic self-efficacy. Results of the Pearson correlation demonstrated several positive and significant associations between flow and internalized subtypes of academic motivation. Additional positive and significant associations were found between flow and academic self-efficacy. A multiple linear regression was conducted to examine relationships between motivational characteristics, academic self-efficacy, and flow. Results indicated that internalized forms of academic motivation and self-efficacy are positively associated with trait flow. The findings offer potential avenues for improvement in academic settings.