Navigating flow beyond achievement: the impact of the implicit and explicit power motive congruence on flow experience in competitive and collaborative group settings

Traditional flow models such as the flow channel model suggested that flow can be particularly applied to situations with strong achievement content. However, more recent approaches propose that the congruence of implicit and explicit motives would promote the experience of flow and thus, other motives such as the implicit and explicit power motives may foster flow. The present research tested whether flow can be experienced in power-related situations, particularly when there is congruence between implicit and explicit power motives. Implicit power motivation was assessed through content, coding of imaginative stories. Explicit power motivation and flow were measured using questionnaires. In Study 1 (N = 58) implicit and explicit power motive congruence predicted flow in a dominance contest. In Study 2 (N = 94), a persuasive group discussion, the relation between power motive congruence and flow was additionally moderated by activity inhibition. Hence, power motive congruence only fostered flow for individuals high in activity inhibition. These findings broaden the scope of the application of flow research beyond the achievement domain, demonstrating that power-related contexts can also facilitate flow under specific motivational conditions.