Flow Proneness in Singers: The Protective Effects of Emotional Intelligence and Inspiration

Flow is a psychological state characterized by intense concentration and intrinsic pleasure during deep engagement in an activity. Singing is particularly conducive to inducing flow, yet individual differences in flow proneness among singers remain unexplored. This study examined how emotional intelligence (EI), inspiration, and music performance anxiety (MPA) influence flow experiences in singers, both in singing-related and daily activities. We found that singing flow was strongly associated with daily flow, suggesting that optimal performance experiences may generalize to broader life contexts. EI and inspiration were positively correlated with both singing and daily flow, while MPA was negatively associated with flow in both domains. Mediation analysis revealed that EI and inspiration significantly buffered the detrimental effects of MPA, particularly in daily contexts. Hierarchical regressions further showed that inspiration was the most robust predictor of singing flow, whereas EI more robustly predicted daily flow. These findings highlight the complementary roles of EI and inspiration in boosting optimal engagement and mitigating MPA, offering new insights for supporting well-being and artistic resilience in high-pressure musical settings.