PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A RESEARCH STUDY

Flow On Demand: Yoga & the Experience of Flow

Purpose of the Study

I am conducting a research study to explore whether learning about flow can influence how yoga practitioners experience their practice.

Flow is often described as a state of deep focus, ease, and full engagement in an activity. Many people experience moments of flow during yoga, but little research has explored whether flow can be intentionally supported through education. This study looks at whether a short, online learning experience changes how yoga practitioners experience flow and their sense of control during practice.

What Will Participants Do?

All parts of the study take place online and can be completed on your own device, on your own schedule.

If you participate, you will:

     Complete brief online questionnaires about your yoga experience

     Watch a 35-minute online education module about flow

     Complete your next yoga practice as you normally would

     Complete a short follow-up questionnaire after that yoga session

There are no tests, no grades, and no right or wrong answers. The study focuses only on your personal experience.

Time Commitment – About 60 minutes                                                           

Who Can Participate?           

You may be eligible if you:                           

• Are 18 years of age or older
• Have been practicing yoga for at least one year
• Currently practice yoga at least once a week
• Are able to complete online activities
• Study activities are completed within approximately 48 hours                                 

Why Participate?

While there may be no direct personal benefit, many participants find it interesting to:

* Learn more about the concept of flow

*Reflect on their yoga experience

*Contribute to research that may support future wellness and educational programs

 Participants may also choose to enter a raffle for one $50 Visa e-gift card after completing the study.

Interested in Participating?

Direct Questions to Primary Researcher
AnnMarie Nelson, Doctoral Candidate at California Southern University
AnnMarie.Nelson@my.CalSouthern.edu

Confidentiality

Your responses are confidential. Secure online tools are used to collect data. Email addresses are used only to send study links, reminders, and raffle information and will be deleted after data collection is complete.

Informed Consent

TITLE OF STUDY

 Flow On Demand

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
AnnMarie Nelson, PsyD Doctoral Candidate

California Southern University, School of Behavioral Sciences, Psychology

805.316.0725

annmarie.nelson@my.calsouthern.edu

PURPOSE OF STUDY

You are being asked to take part in a research study. Before you decide to participate in this study, it is important that you understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please read the following information carefully. Please ask the researcher if there is anything that is not clear or if you need more information.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether online education about flow influences adult yoga practitioners’ experiences of flow and their perceived ability of control over flow during yoga practice. This research aims to better understand how education may enhance flow experiences in everyday activities. The study will measure your flow experience in yoga practice, and your sense of control of the flow experience, before and after a flow education module.

STUDY PROCEDURES

If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete several online activities using a secure online platform. All parts of the study will take place remotely on your own device. First, you will complete a brief eligibility screening questionnaire to confirm that you meet the study requirements. If eligible, you will be shown an informed consent form and you will be asked for your agreement electronically before participating. After providing consent, you will complete pre-education questionnaires (Survey A). This includes demographic questions and two short questionnaires measuring your flow experience and your perceived ability to influence flow. There are no right or wrong answers to the questionnaires, they ask about your experience. This pre-education set of questionnaires takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Next, you are asked to watch an education video about flow and complete your regular yoga practice within 48 hours of watching the video. The flow education video is 35 minutes and introduces the concept of flow and evidence-supported strategies that may help individuals intentionally engage in flow during activities such as yoga.

After watching the video, you will be asked to engage in your next yoga practice as you normally would, in your usual setting and style. Because the timing of your yoga practice cannot be monitored by the researcher, you will be responsible for initiating the post-yoga practice portion of the study. You are asked to complete the post-yoga practice survey (Survey B) within 10 minutes of finishing your next yoga session, which takes about 5 minutes to complete. This link will also be sent to you by email for convenience, and you may receive up to two reminder emails to complete your yoga and the post-education survey.

The post-yoga survey includes the same two questionnaires that you previously completed and takes approximately 5 minutes to finish. Your responses will help the researcher compare your flow experience before and after watching the educational video. Again, there are no right or wrong answers, please respond from your experience.

Your total time commitment for this study is approximately 60 minutes, not including the time engaged in your normal yoga practice. After completion of Survey B, you are eligible to enter an optional raffle for a $50 e-gift card that will be drawn at random after the data collection phase has ended.

In summary, this study requests that you complete a short set of questionnaires, watch a 35-minute education program about flow, then engage in your normal yoga practice within 48 hours. Within 10 minutes of completing your yoga practice, you are asked to complete two of the same questionnaires again. While there are no wrong or right answers on any of the questionnaires, your experience before and after the education will be compared in the research. The questions are about your experience, and there is not a test about the education content in this study.

RISKS

Because participants are asked to engage in physical activity (i.e. their regular yoga practice), participation involves no more than the minimal risk associated with participants’ usual, routine yoga practice. Participants should remain within their normal practice and not engage in any new or unusually strenuous activity that could increase the risk of injury. You may decline to answer any or all questions and you may terminate your involvement at any time if you choose.

BENEFITS

There may be no direct benefit to you for participating in this study. However, some participants may find it helpful or interesting to learn about the concept of flow and strategies to enhance their flow experience. Some participants may find it helpful or interesting to reflect on their yoga experience. The larger benefit of this study is to help researchers understand whether a short educational program can influence flow experiences in yoga. Improving this understanding may support the development of future educational approaches, wellness programs, or psychological strategies designed to help individuals intentionally increase flow in everyday activities. There are no alternative procedures available other than choosing not to participate in this study.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Your responses to the questionnaires and surveys will be confidential. Utilized technology will assign number identifiers and personal identification information will be limited or encrypted. Information such as IP addresses will not be stored. Emails will be used only to deliver links and reminders to engage with the study. Emails will be used to complete the raffle and notify the winner. Email addresses will be deleted at the conclusion of the data collection and completion of the raffle prize delivery. Please do not write any identifying information in your responses. Participant data will be kept confidential except in cases where the researcher is legally obligated to report specific incidents. These incidents include, but may not be limited to, incidents of abuse and suicide risk.

COMPENSATION

No direct compensation is offered for participation in this study. However, participants are eligible to enter a raffle for one $50 gift card. To be eligible for the raffle, participants must complete the study and elect to opt-in to the raffle. Participants who do not complete the study, or those who elect not to enter the raffle, will be considered ineligible and will not be included in the pool from which the winner will be randomly drawn. The winner will be notified via email and a $50 Visa electronic gift card will sent to them from the researcher. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have questions at any time about this study, or you experience adverse effects as the result of participating in this study, you may contact the researcher whose contact information is provided on the first page. If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, or if problems arise which you do not feel you can discuss with the Primary Investigator, please contact the Institutional Review Board at irb@trident.edu

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION

Your participation in this study is voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part in this study. If you decide to take part in this study, you will be asked to sign a consent form. After you sign the consent form, you are still free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. Withdrawing from this study will not affect the relationship you have, if any, with the researcher. If you withdraw from the study before data collection is completed, your data will be destroyed.