The sensorimotor Dimension of the Networked Flow: an Exploratory Study Using an Interactive Collaborative Platform

The ability to cooperate with another individual in order to achieve a shared goal is crucial for human survival and it is called joint action. It is noted that this process can originate when actors are synchronized at a sensorimotor level. However, experiential correlates of sensorimotor synchronization are nearly unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the experience of flow and social presence in a sensorimotor collaborative task. 12 female couples (mean age = 22.33; S.D. = .815) and 12 male couples (mean age = 22.88; S.D. = .789) were involved in a tower-building task across 10 consecutive trials using the COLLEGO platform. Couple members alternated their leader/follower role. Platform recorded time stamp (ms) and position of each selected object when it was picked/released, providing a measure of performance. Thereafter, participants’ level of flow (Flow State Scale) and social presence (Networked Minds Social Presence Inventory) were assessed. Flow and Social presence correlated positively at a global level. Having clear goals and perceiving a balance between challenges and skills were associated with a higher performance. The autotelic dimension of flow was negatively related with global performance. At the same time, task duration correlated negatively with cognitive and behavioral dimensions of social presence, but positively with emotional dimensions. Results are discussed in light of the Networked Flow model that assumes a strong positive link between social presence and flow at the base of the highest levels of collaborative performance.