Flow Experiences in Adolescents: Comparison of Musically Educated, Athletically Active, and Other Adolescents/Doživljaj zanesenosti kod adolescenata: razlike između glazbeno obrazovanih, sportaša i ostalih adolescenata

Abstract

Abstract
The experience of flow affects the current feeling of happiness, as well as the experience of subjective well-being. Adolescents most often experience flow by engaging in activities that fulfil them. However, it is necessary to investigate whether there are differences in the experience of flow in adolescents who are musically educated, athletically active, and other adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine the frequency and conditions of experiencing flow in musically educated and athletically active adolescents. In this study, data were collected through questionnaires with 460 adolescent girls and boys (aged 15-19 years), from five secondary schools in Croatia. Musicians and athletes recognized the experiences of flow described in the questionnaire. They identified their experiences of flow which, according to the results of this study, they felt more often than the group of other adolescents. As expected, the groups listed activities in their area of greatest interest as sources of flow experience. Thus, musicians listed the activity of playing musical instruments, and athletes listed training sessions or participation in sports competitions. Interestingly, all three groups listed music-related activities as causes of experiencing flow. Since adolescence is a key period for practising adaptive life skills, we believe that music education and/or a structured sports program can encourage the development of these skills through positive experiences such as flow experience.

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Sažetak
Doživljaj zanesenosti utječe na trenutačni osjećaj sreće, kao i na doživljaj subjektivne dobrobiti. Adolescenti najčešće doživljavaju zanesenost baveći se aktivnostima koje ih ispunjavaju. Cilj je ovoga istraživanja istražiti učestalost i uvjete doživljavanja zanesenosti kod glazbeno obrazovanih i sportski aktivnih adolescenata. U istraživanju je putem anketnoga upitnika sudjelovalo 460 adolescenata iz srednjih glazbenih škola, sportske i opće gimnazije. Glazbenici i sportaši prepoznali su iskustva zanesenosti opisana u upitniku koja su, prema rezultatima ovoga istraživanja, proživljavali češće od skupine ostalih adolescenata. Kao što se i očekivalo, grupe su kao izvore iskustva zanesenosti navele aktivnosti u području najvećega interesa. Tako su glazbenici naveli aktivnost sviranja, a sportaši treniranje ili sudjelovanje u nekom sportskom natjecanju. Zanimljivo je da su sve tri skupine navele aktivnosti povezane s glazbom kao uzroke doživljavanja zanesenosti. Budući da je adolescencija ključno razdoblje za vježbanje adaptivnih životnih vještina, vjerujemo da glazbeno obrazovanje i/ili strukturirani sportski programi mogu potaknuti razvoj ovih vještina kroz pozitivna iskustva kao što je iskustvo zanesenosti.