Human-Centered Design and Evaluation of a NeuroIS Tool for Flow Support

Flow is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed and actively involved in a task, even during extrinsically motivated activities at work. IT-mediated interruptions can disrupt flow, with ramifications for workers' well-being and work performance. In this design science research paper, we develop and evaluate design knowledge for neuroadaptive flow support systems. Building on foundations in flow theory, we conduct expert interviews and present a conceptual framework, three meta-requirements, and five design principles for flow support systems. We then implement the design principles in three prototypes and evaluate these prototypes in a lab experiment and a field study. With this paper on flow and IT-mediated interruptions in the work domain, we present an approach toward flow support systems that enable intelligent interruption management.