Understanding Flow Experience Among College Basketball Players: The Mediating Role of Perceived Skill–Challenge Balance

Xiaoqing  Huang; Jun  Lang

doi:10.54691/e6mt6j95

Authors

Xiaoqing Huang
Jun Lang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/e6mt6j95

Keywords:

Flow experience, College basketball players, Flow Theory, perceived skill–challenge balance, mediation analysis.

Abstract

Flow experience is a critical psychological state for optimizing athletic performance, yet the mechanisms through which external situational factors facilitate this state among college basketball players remain underexplored. This study investigates the antecedents of flow experience and examines the mediating role of perceived skill–challenge balance within the framework of Flow Theory. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study collected questionnaire data from 100 college basketball players and conducted semi-structured interviews with six experienced coaches. Quantitative analyses, including reliability, correlation, and bootstrap mediation analyses using SPSS 27.0, revealed that coach leadership and support, environmental and resource support, training task design, interpersonal harmony, and team cooperation were all positively associated with flow experience (r=0.64-0.74, p<0.01). Critically, perceived skill–challenge balance significantly mediated these relationships, with indirect effects ranging from 0.0866 to 0.1020 and all 95% bootstrap confidence intervals excluding zero. These findings demonstrate that external situational factors enhance flow experience primarily by strengthening athletes’ perception of balance between their skills and task challenges. This study extends Flow Theory to collegiate basketball contexts and offers practical implications for coaches aiming to foster athletes’ psychological readiness through optimized training design, supportive environments, and enhanced team dynamics.

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