Richard, V., Yang, Y., Runco, M., Abdulla, A. M., & Tenenbaum, G. (2019). Does engaging in creative activities influence the use of coping skills and perception of challenge-skill balance in elite athletes? IAFOR Journal of Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences, 5(special issue), 3-20.
Link:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336313712_Does_Engaging_in_Creative_Activities_Influence_the_Use_of_Coping_Skills_and_Perception_of_Challenge-Skill_Balance_in_Elite_Athletes
Abstract
The aim of this study was to test the notion that engagement in creative activity directly affects the flow state dimension of challenge-skills balance, and indirectly via coping strategies in the realm of sport. Two hundred and eight athletes classified as intermediate, advanced, and expert level were administered a Creative Activities and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC), the Dispositional Coping Inventory for Competitive Sport (DCICS), and the Challenge-Skill Balance subscale of the Dispositional Flow Scale (CS-DFS-2). Measurement and structural equation modeling were used to test the postulated model. The best fit of the model showed that 36% of the variance in challenge-skills balance was accounted for by creative activities and task-oriented coping, of which 27% was attributed to the indirect effect from creative activities via task-oriented coping. The findings extend the role that creativity engagement has on flow state.