Document Type

Honors Paper

Advisor

Ruth Grahn

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between perceived stress, cortisol levels, and a creative flow state. A creative flow state is a state in which a person is so engrossed in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; time is irrelevant and seems to pass quickly and the activity holds all attention without distraction or interruption. The primary hypothesis in this study was that regular engagement with flow inducing activities counteracts an increased level of stress as the school semester progresses. Eight participants were recruited and given a preliminary survey where they were asked questions about their perception of stress, perception of their own levels of creativity, and their past experiences with flow. The participants were then asked to engage in a creative practice of their choosing for at least one hour per week for four weeks. The participants also turned in biological samples of saliva, once at the beginning of the testing period and once at the end. These samples were analyzed for cortisol levels using an immunoassay kit. After finding the cortisol levels, several correlations and Paired Sample T-Tests were run to discover relationships between the variables. No significant evidence was found that supported our primary hypothesis, but this could have been due to several limitations that were faced during the course of the study.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.