Measuring the Flow Construct in Online Environments: a Structural Modeling Approach

This is a working paper. elab.vanderbilt.edu Measuring the Flow Construct in Online Environments: A Structural Modeling Approach Though marketers have made great strides in understanding the Internet, they still understand little about what makes for a compelling consumer experience online. Recently, the flow construct has been proposed as important for understanding consumer behavior on the World Wide Web. Although widely studied over the past twenty years, quantitative modeling efforts of the flow construct have been neither systematic nor comprehensive. In large parts, these efforts have been hampered by considerable confusion regarding the exact conceptual definition of flow. Lacking precise definition, it has been difficult to measure flow empirically, let alone apply the concept in practice. Following the conceptual model of flow proposed by Hoffman and Novak (1996), we conceptualize flow as a complex multidimensional construct characterized by directed relationships among a set of unidimensional constructs, most of which have previously been incorporated in various definitions of flow. In a quantitative modeling framework, we use data collected from a large-sample Web-based consumer survey to measure this set of constructs, and fit a series of structural equation models that test Hoffman and Novak’s (1996) theory. The conceptual model is largely supported and the improved fit offered by the revised model provides additional insights into the antecedents and consequences of flow. A key insight from the paper is that the degree to which the online experience is compelling can be defined and measured. As such, our flow model may be useful both theoretically and in practice as marketers strive to decipher the secrets of commercial success in interactive online environments.