Exploring the Differential Impact of Sensory and Cognitive Feedback on Flow: An Experimental Study Based on Two Cars

The impact of feedback on flow has been extensively explored, yet limited attention has been given to sensory feedback and cognitive feedback. To address this gap, the present study investigates the distinct effects of sensory feedback and cognitive feedback on players flow experiences. Employing a 2 (presence vs. absence of sensory feedback) 2 (presence vs. absence of cognitive feedback) between-subjects factorial design, the experiment utilized a modified version of the Two Cars game as the experimental task. Forty-eight participants were randomly allocated to one of four experimental conditions utilizing a Latin square design. Flow experiences were assessed utilizing the Flow State Scale-2, and the results were analyzed via two-way ANOVA employing SPSS. The results revealed that, at the overall flow level, neither sensory nor cognitive feedback exhibited substantial main effects or interaction effects. However, a significant interaction effect between sensory and cognitive feedback was observed specifically within the dimension of action-awareness merging. Moreover, sensory feedback alone exhibited a significant main effect within the dimension of autotelic experience.