Investigation of "Flow" experiences of casual leisure activity participants in the scope of experience sampling method

The conceptual framework of this research is based on "Casual Leisure" and "Flow Theory". Within this scope this research aims to examine the flow experience of university staff participating in the casual leisure activities. The activity program, which was structured to provide flow experience among the participants, included activities such as Mini Golf, Table Tennis, Orienteering, Dart, Ring Throwing, and casual leisure activities without physical activity such as puzzle, equilibro, rubik, shot and goal, jenga and ping pong ball. For the indoor activities we set two different activity hubs within the rectorate building, and outdoor activities were carried out in the campus site. The research group consisted of 28 participants working in a state university. The study used qualitative research method and holistic single case pattern. The flow experience and daily rutine of the participants were examined with the Experience Sampling Method. The data collected through interview forms and field observations. Collected data was analysed with SPSS and NVivo data analysis tools. Based on the basic findings, individuals who lead a sedentary work life seek to get away from monotony, to have fun and acquire new experiences. Individuals, who rarely experience flow in their daily lives, find chance to experience flow during participation in casual lesiure activities. The casual leisure activity program (CLAP) which was applied within this study is an output of this study. We suggest that research should be extended to various populations in different settings. And institutions should create casual lesiure hubs for their workers in the workplaces. Key words: Flow, Casual Leisure Activities, Experience Sampling Method