Experiences of absorption and smooth performance during flow are linked to different aspects of creative thinking

Flow, an experience of deep immersion and smooth, effortless performance, is frequently linked to creativity. However, its specific relationship with the core cognitive mechanisms of creative ideation remains unclear. This study (n = 400) investigated how the smooth and immersive dimensions of flow relate to divergent thinking, measured using the Alternate Uses Task (AUT), and how they relate to the spontaneous flow of associations, assessed with the Forward Flow task. State flow was measured in relation to experiences during the AUT, in which participants were required to invent creative uses for common objects. The AUT elicited a partial flow state in which the smooth dimension, in particular, was not fully realized. Smooth performance was associated with increased idea productivity but decreased creativity, especially when responding required inhibition of conventional associations to semantically rich probes. Conversely, immersion was positively associated with creativity and semantic distance, suggesting that deep attentional engagement may facilitate access to remote associations and promote creative ideation. The spontaneous flow of associations (FF) predicted originality and creativity in the AUT independently of flow. The results suggest that the state experienced during the generation of creative uses can be considered a partial flow, or microflow, that does not meet all the requirements of full flow, and that the relative intensity of the smooth and immersive components is associated with a trade-off between the quantity and quality of the outputs.