This study was conducted to examine Csikszentmihalyi's (1975a) Model of Flow
among a sample of 4-year-old children engaged in a cognitive activity. Twenty-eight
children undertook a pattern-making task with beads of different colors and shapes
under three conditions. In the assigned-easy condition the children were given only
the easiest patterns; in the assigned-difficult condition they were given the most difficult
patterns; and in the choice condition they were free to choose the level of difficulty
of the pattern.
It was hypothesized, on the basis of the Flow Model, that the intrinsic motivation
to continue an activity, as measured by the number of attempts and time spent on the
activity, would be highest when children were free to choose the degree of difficulty.
The results of the study supported the hypothesis. The children spent significantly
more time on the activity in the choice condition, as compared to both the
assigned-easy and the assigned-difficult conditions. The number of attempts were
greater in the choice condition, as compared to the assigned-difficult condition.
However, the number of attempts in the choice condition were not significantly
greater than in the assigned-easy condition.
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