Group‐based flow: The influence of cardiovascular synchronization and identifiability.

GROUP dynamics; SYNCHRONIZATION; CARDIAC output; HEART beat; SOCIAL groups

Previous work has demonstrated the role of group‐based flow in group performance and experience, but the physiological correlates of these relations are largely unknown. We examined the relation between cardiovascular synchronization, self‐reported flow, and performance in a three‐person online gaming task. We included measures of Heart Rate (HR), Pre‐Ejection Period (PEP), and Cardiac Output (CO) as indices of task engagement and challenge (vs. threat) motivation. Group members were identifiable (i.e., visible) or anonymous during the game. Results indicated that PEP (as a marker of task engagement) and within‐group synchronization in PEP, predicted flow, and that synchronization in PEP mediated the relation between group performance and experienced flow. The anonymity vs. identifiability of group members did not play a role in these effects. Results are discussed in terms of implications for flow theory, group dynamics, and physiological synchrony. Successful cooperation in groups facilitates group performance and the experience of "flow" among group members. We show that both these outcomes relate to within‐group synchronization in pre‐ejection period (PEP), the extent to which cardiac contractility becomes similar across group members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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