Journal Article

Directed motivational currents: A systematic review

Jahedizadeh, Safoura, Al-Hoorie, Ali H

2021

Overview

Directed motivational currents, unique and intense goal-directed motivational surges lasting over a period of time, have received increasing attention recently. This article reports the first systematic review of this phenomenon. A total of 21 reports appearing between 2013 and 2020 were included in the analysis. The results show that the majority of empirical reports were small-scale qualitative studies (median = 18 participants). The evidence on the three characteristics proposed as necessary and/or distinguishing conditions of directed motivational currents (vision, salient facilitative structure, and positive affect) is inconclusive due to the presence of directed motivational currents cases not exhibiting these features, and the absence of direct comparative analyses with non-directed motivational currents cases. A few intervention studies (N = 4) were conducted, but their results are also inconclusive due to a number of methodological limitations. Contrary to the claim that directed motivational current experiences are the “optimal form” of motivation, the results additionally showed that these experiences could lead to intense stress, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and panic attacks, thereby raising ethical concerns about deliberately inducing directed motivational currents in learners. We conclude that, although the concept of directed motivational currents is promising, more research is needed to reach a better understanding of its potential. We end this article by suggesting directions for future research into directed motivational currents, including renaming them as sustained flow.

• Publisher: Wojskowe Biuro Historyczne im. gen. broni Kazimierza Sosnkowskiego,Military Historical Bureau of Lieutenant-General Kazimierz Sosnkowski,Adam Mickiewicz University,Adam Mickiewicz University Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts,Adam Mickiewicz University Department of English Studies,Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
• Subject: Anxiety / Communities of Practice / Comparative Analysis / Comparative Education / Depression (Psychology) / directed motivational currents / dmc / Ethics / Goal Orientation / Intervention / Language and Literature Studies / Language instruction / language learning / language motivation / Learner Engagement / Learning Motivation / Linguistic research / Medical Education / Motivation / Motivation in education / Panic attacks / Physicians / Physiology / Positive emotions / Qualitative research / Research Reports / Second Language Instruction / Second Language Learning / Stress Variables / sustained flow / Symptoms (Individual Disorders) / Systematic review / Well Being