PhD defense H. (Hairong) Lu

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

This PhD thesis investigates the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying flow—a state of deep focus, optimal engagement, and intrinsic motivation. While traditional models emphasize the balance between task difficulty and skill (the challenge-skill balance model), this research reveals limitations in this approach and introduces a novel progress-based model, demonstrating that perceived progress is key to sustaining flow.
The thesis addresses three major challenges in flow research: (1) reliable cognitive basis of flow, (2) identifying neural features of flow, and (3) understanding flow dynamics over time. Chapter 2 links flow to the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, showing that flow, pupil dilation and EEG P300 amplitude follow an inverted U-shape with task difficulty. Chapter 3 finds that motivated effort exertion can extend flow to high-difficulty tasks, challenging the classic inverted U-model. Chapter 4 introduces the progress concept to the flow research, showing that perceived progress predicts flow. Chapter 5 reinforces this with neural evidence, demonstrating that steady learning progress enhances flow, with an enhanced cognitive readiness (indexed by CNV and alpha desynchronization) and enhanced feedback information processing (indexed by P3b and alpha desynchronization).
The findings collectively support a shift from traditional static difficulty-based models to a dynamic, progress-driven framework. Neural festures (P3b, CNV, alpha power) deepen understanding of its cognitive and neurobiological basis. This research has broad implications for enhancing engagement in education, work, and beyond, offering new strategies to foster flow through progress cues.