Disclosing Chinese college students’ flow experience in GenAI-assisted informal digital learning of english: A self-determination theory perspective

The role of flow experience in enhancing GenAI-assisted informal digital learning of English (GAI-IDLE) has recently gained increasing attention. However, the mechanisms underlying the achievement of flow experience in this context remain underexplored. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates how GAI-IDLE influences flow experience through the lens of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Specifically, we aim to examine the mediating effects of these psychological needs on the relationship between GAI-IDLE and flow experience. To achieve this, we conducted a survey among 333 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners from various colleges in China. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS 4.0 software, our results show that GenAI literacy and English proficiency positively and directly impacted flow experience, while gender had no direct effect. GAI-IDLE directly predicted flow experience and positively influenced autonomy and relatedness, which in turn directly enhanced flow experience. Thus, GAI-IDLE indirectly affected flow experience through the mediation of autonomy and relatedness. However, contrary to SDT, GAI-IDLE did not directly affect competence, and competence did not directly influence flow experience, resulting in an insignificant mediating role for competence. We discuss potential explanations for these findings and conclude with educational implications.