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Chou SY, Chang T, Lakshman S. From Good Citizens to Bad Apples? The Effect of Boredom Proneness: A Moral Licensing Perspective. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241265958. [PMID: 39041202 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241265958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Although boredom proneness has been well-studied, there is still an ongoing scholarly debate about whether boredom can move individuals to act counterproductively or productively. Drawing from a moral licensing perspective, this study empirically investigates how boredom proneness influences interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB), moral meaningfulness, and interpersonal deviance over time. Utilizing a total of 328 three-wave panel data obtained via Amazon Mechanical Turk during a three-month period, we find the following results. First, individuals with a higher initial level of boredom proneness demonstrate a higher initial level of ICB. Second, as boredom proneness increases at a faster rate, ICB increases at a faster rate over time. Third, individuals with a higher initial level of ICB report a higher initial level of moral meaningfulness. Finally, individuals with a higher initial level of moral meaningfulness exhibit a higher initial level of interpersonal deviance. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih Yung Chou
- Management, Marketing, & MIS, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Tree Chang
- Department of Accounting and Information Systems, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
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2
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Kawada M, Shimazu A, Miyanaka D, Tokita M, Sakakibara K, Mori N, Hamsyah F, Yuheng L, Shojima K, Schaufeli WB. Boredom and engagement at work: do they have different antecedents and consequences? INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2024; 62:110-122. [PMID: 37766571 PMCID: PMC10995674 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2023-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to demonstrate the empirical distinctiveness of boredom at work and work engagement in relation to their potential antecedents (job demands and job resources) and consequences (psychological distress and turnover intention) based on the Job Demands-Resources model. A three-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among registered monitors of an Internet survey company in Japan. The questionnaire included scales for boredom at work, work engagement, psychological distress, and turnover intention as well as participants' job characteristics and demographic variables. The hypothesized model was evaluated via structural equation modeling with 1,019 participants who were employed full-time. As expected, boredom at work was negatively associated with quantitative job demands and job resources and positively associated with psychological distress and turnover intention. In contrast, work engagement was positively associated with job resources and negatively associated with turnover intention. Thus, boredom at work and work engagement had different potential antecedents and were inversely related to employee well-being and organizational outcomes. However, contrary to expectations, qualitative job demands were not significantly associated with boredom at work. Further investigation is needed to understand the relationship between boredom and qualitative job demands, which require sustained cognitive load and the use of higher skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Kawada
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Japan
| | | | - Daisuke Miyanaka
- Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan
- Better Options, Inc., Japan
| | | | - Keiko Sakakibara
- Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Sociology, Toyo University, Japan
| | - Naana Mori
- Keio Research Institute at SFC, Keio University, Japan
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Fuad Hamsyah
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Japan
- Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
| | - Lin Yuheng
- Jiangxi College of Foreign Studies, China
| | - Kojiro Shojima
- Research Division, National Center for University Entrance Examinations, Japan
| | - Wilmar B Schaufeli
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Netherlands
- Research Unit Occupational & Organizational Psychology and Professional Learning, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
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3
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Petrou P, van der Linden D, Bakker AB. Effects of Openness on Incremental Versus Radical Creativity and the Moderating Role of Leader Behaviors. JOURNAL OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Abstract: Although openness to experience has been consistently related to employee creativity, we know less about how this relationship manifests when one makes a distinction between incremental creativity (i.e., minor modifications of existing practices) and radical creativity (i.e., major departures from existing practices). Our present work is driven by two expectations. First, we expect that openness more strongly relates to radical than incremental creativity. Second, we expect that the link between openness and incremental creativity becomes stronger when leaders display closing behaviors (i.e., they control adherence to rules) or they refrain from opening behaviors (i.e., they do not emphasize the importance of free experimentation). To test our propositions, we conducted four studies: one survey study with self-ratings of openness and creativity, one survey study with both self-ratings and other ratings of openness and creativity, one semi-experimental survey study, and one weekly diary survey study. Our studies largely provide support to the idea that openness has stronger links with radical than incremental creativity. Furthermore, our weekly study revealed that the link between openness and incremental creativity is stronger when closing leader behaviors are high and, at the same, opening leader behaviors are low. We discuss our findings and suggest how managerial practice can guide open employees to improve their potential for incremental creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevas Petrou
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitri van der Linden
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold B. Bakker
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
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The Role of Pre-Pandemic Mental Health Status and Personality Traits on Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown among Italian Young Adults. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13020141. [PMID: 36829370 PMCID: PMC9951855 DOI: 10.3390/bs13020141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes on day-to-day activities and had a detrimental psychological effect on the population, especially among vulnerable individuals, such as adolescents and young adults. The current study aimed to explore variables associated with anxiety, depressive and somatic symptoms in a sample of 608 Italian young adults aged 18 to 25. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered two months into the COVID-19 lockdown, which explored several areas including sociodemographic information, pre-pandemic and current psychological distress, pre-pandemic and current levels of loneliness, and the traits of intolerance of uncertainty and boredom susceptibility. Results highlighted that having pre-existing mental health issues, being female, and the personality traits of intolerance to uncertainty and boredom susceptibility all played a role in the psychological distress experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 contributed to negative impacts on young adults' mental health, highlighting the necessity to develop protective psychological intervention tailored for this vulnerable population.
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5
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Pfattheicher S, Lazarević LB, Nielsen YA, Westgate EC, Krstić K, Schindler S. I enjoy hurting my classmates: On the relation of boredom and sadism in schools. J Sch Psychol 2023; 96:41-56. [PMID: 36641224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Schools can be a place of both love and of cruelty. We examined one type of cruelty that occurs in the school context: sadism, that is, harming others for pleasure. Primarily, we proposed and tested whether boredom plays a crucial role in the emergence of sadistic actions at school. In two well-powered studies (N = 1038; student age range = 10-18 years) using both self- and peer-reports of students' boredom levels and their sadistic tendencies, we first document that sadistic behavior occurs at school, although at a low level. We further show that those students who are more often bored at school are more likely to engage in sadistic actions (overall r = .36, 95% CI [0.24, 0.49]). In sum, the present work contributes to a better understanding of sadism in schools and points to boredom as one potential motivator. We discuss how reducing boredom might help to prevent sadistic tendencies at schools.
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6
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Fultz AA, Brown JA, Bernieri FJ. The Boredom Prone Personality: A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach. J Pers Assess 2022; 105:382-395. [PMID: 36053121 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2022.2112205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The present investigation reports the convergent and discriminant validity coefficients for two versions of Farmer and Sundberg's (Journal of Personality Assessment, 50(1), 4-17, 1986) boredom proneness scale. Boredom proneness, a trait that refers to an enduring tendency to disengage from the environment, has been neglected by the field of psychology despite its theoretical relevance to performance and psychological well-being. This report sought: (a) to validate a shortened 8-item version of the original Boredom Proneness Scale published by Struk et al. (Assessment, 24(3), 346-359, 2017) and (b) to extensively examine the boredom proneness construct that the long and short versions of this scale assess. We employed a multitrait-multimethod approach that assessed a large number of theorized effects simultaneously. We replicated dozens of theorized and/or previously observed boredom proneness correlates (convergent validity) as well as many theorized null effects (discriminant validity). The overall pattern of significant and null effect sizes provided compelling evidence that the original boredom proneness scale as well as the 8 items that constitute the shorter version are valid measures of one's susceptibility to boredom. We propose that boredom proneness might be an underappreciated yet important theoretical moderator of Person X Situation effects.
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Martarelli CS, Baillifard A, Audrin C. A Trait-Based Network Perspective on the Validation of the French Short Boredom Proneness Scale. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. The Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) has recently been developed. Using a standard confirmatory factor analysis, we report on the structural validation of the French SBPS, which provided support for the original construct. A network analysis ( n = 490) revealed the structure of the relationships between the SBPS and the two facets of Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II (CEI-II). The analysis revealed positive connections between the boredom and curiosity items, whereas the connections between the boredom and exploration items were negative. To evaluate measurement invariance, we compared the French-speaking sample ( n = 490) with an English-speaking sample ( n = 364). Full configural, metric, and scalar invariance was established; thus, we provide a valid French translation of a widely used measure of boredom that may advantage future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Catherine Audrin
- University of Teacher Education, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland
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8
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Dharani B, Giannaros M, April K. Alleviating state boredom through search for meaning and affirmation of workplace heroes. MANAGEMENT RESEARCH REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/mrr-08-2020-0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Employee boredom is of concern to organizations because of its impact on employees’ quality of work life and productivity. This study aims to test the regulation of workplace boredom through meaning in life by workplace heroes to contribute to theory by examining the relationships between the variables and to practice by uncovering the potential of workplace heroes in alleviating state boredom.
Design/methodology/approach
Using online surveys and structured interviews for a mixed-method study, data were collected for state boredom, meaning in life and hero affirmation at work for a quantitative study, and data from the open-ended questions provided further insights regarding hero affirmation at work for a qualitative study.
Findings
Spearman rank-order correlations concluded correlations between state boredom and meaning in life. However, unlike personal heroes that influence meaning in life, workplace heroes were found not to. The qualitative analysis revealed three prime differences between workplace and personal heroes: proximity, symbolic representation of ideologies and qualities admired in the heroes. These reasons entailed that state boredom was not regulated by workplace heroes.
Originality/value
The model of Coughlan et al. (2019) explored trait boredom regulation through meaning in life by personal heroes. This study tested for the regulation of state boredom through meaning in life by workplace heroes; thus, contributing to theory through a nuanced model with enhanced usefulness in practice. The study also further dissects the concept of heroes by uncovering differences between workplace and personal heroes that perpetrated the differences in the findings.
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Yan L, Gan Y, Ding X, Wu J, Duan H. The relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: Effects of boredom proneness and coping style. J Anxiety Disord 2021; 77:102328. [PMID: 33160275 PMCID: PMC7598556 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was a great threat to the physical and mental health of the general population. Our research aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress during the initial outbreak. Furthermore, potential risks and protective factors, i.e., coping and boredom proneness, of stress-related emotional distress were also explored. Data from 3233 participants in China were collected through an online survey platform during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 from January 31 to February 9 in 2020. Results showed that higher perceived stress was associated with more emotional distress including depression, fear, compulsion-anxiety, neurasthenia, and hypochondria. Boredom proneness significantly and positively mediated the relationship between perceived stress and emotional distress. Moreover, coping style moderated the stress-emotional distress relationship, i.e., individuals who mainly adopted positive coping strategies suffered fewer symptoms of depression, compulsion-anxiety, and neurasthenia under stress, while negative coping strategies aggravated emotional distress. These results from the present study provide practical value for mental health intervention during the emergent public health events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Yan
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Yiqun Gan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, China
| | - Xu Ding
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China; Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Hongxia Duan
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China; Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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10
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Schwartze MM, Frenzel AC, Goetz T, Marx AKG, Reck C, Pekrun R, Fiedler D. Excessive boredom among adolescents: A comparison between low and high achievers. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241671. [PMID: 33152022 PMCID: PMC7644046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Existing research shows that high achievement boredom is correlated with a range of undesirable behavioral and personality variables and that the main antecedents of boredom are being over- or under-challenged. However, merely knowing that students are highly bored, without taking their achievement level into account, might be insufficient for drawing conclusions about students' behavior and personality. We, therefore, investigated if low- vs. high-achieving students who experience strong mathematics boredom show different behaviors and personality traits. The sample consisted of 1,404 German secondary school students (fifth to 10th grade, mean age 12.83 years, 52% female). We used self-report instruments to assess boredom in mathematics, behavioral (social and emotional problems, positive/negative affect, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression), and personality variables (neuroticism and conscientiousness). In comparing highly bored students (more than one SD above M, n = 258) who were low vs. high achievers (as indicated by the math grade, n = 125 / n = 119), results showed that there were no mean level differences across those groups for all variables. In conclusion, our results suggest that high boredom can occur in both low- and high-achieving students and that bored low- and high-achievers show similar behaviors and personality profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel M. Schwartze
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anne C. Frenzel
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Goetz
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anton K. G. Marx
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Corinna Reck
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Reinhard Pekrun
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
- Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Daniel Fiedler
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Masland SR, Shah TV, Choi-Kain LW. Boredom in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Lost Criterion Reconsidered. Psychopathology 2020; 53:239-253. [PMID: 33166987 DOI: 10.1159/000511312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty with boredom was eliminated from the formal diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in 1994 based on significantly limited, unpublished data. However, it is apparent in clinical practice that boredom remains relevant to BPD. This review synthesizes empirical research, with consideration of theoretical accounts, to critically examine the relevance of boredom to BPD. We first briefly review issues in defining and measuring boredom and offer an expanded conceptualization for BPD, which includes the notion of boredom reactivity, before turning to boredom's differentiation from and overlap with feelings of emptiness, with which it was paired prior to its removal from the DSM. We then discuss perspectives on boredom's significance in BPD, briefly touching on its relevance in other personality disorders. We propose a Boredom Cascade Model that articulates how boredom and boredom reactivity interact with identity disturbance and chronic emptiness to create escalating patterns of behavioral dysregulation and make recommendations for research and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Masland
- Psychological Science, Pomona College, Claremont, California, USA,
| | - Tanya V Shah
- Psychological Science, Pomona College, Claremont, California, USA
| | - Lois W Choi-Kain
- McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Cao Q, An J. Boredom Proneness and Aggression Among People With Substance Use Disorder: The Mediating Role of Trait Anger and Impulsivity. JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0022042619886822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Boredom proneness has been linked to aggressive behaviors; however, the relationship between them is not well understood. To better understand the mechanism underlying the relationship between boredom proneness and aggression, a serial multiple mediator model was built, where boredom proneness impacted aggression simultaneously through (a) impulsivity, (b) trait anger, and (c) impulsivity to trait anger. Using data collected among Chinese substance users, a battery of interview questionnaires was completed. Results from this study indicate a positive relationship between boredom proneness, impulsivity, trait anger, and aggression. Moreover, the mediating role of impulsivity, trait anger, and both impulsivity and trait anger in serial were found. This study reflects that the link from boredom proneness to aggression among substances users could be partially explained via impulsivity and anger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilong Cao
- Changzhou University, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing An
- Changzhou Institute of Technology, People’s Republic of China
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13
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Baratta PL, Spence JR. Capturing the noonday demon: development and validation of the State Boredom Inventory. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WORK AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/1359432x.2018.1481830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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14
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Situational meaninglessness and state boredom: Cross-sectional and experience-sampling findings. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-018-9693-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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15
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Martínez Lugo M, Rodríguez-Montalbán R. Cuando el trabajo aburre: Análisis de las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Aburrimiento Laboral (EAL). REVISTA INTERAMERICANA DE PSICOLOGÍA OCUPACIONAL 2017. [DOI: 10.21772/ripo.v35n1a01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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16
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Nett UE, Daschmann EC, Goetz T, Stupnisky RH. How Accurately Can Parents Judge Their Children's Boredom in School? Front Psychol 2016; 7:770. [PMID: 27445876 PMCID: PMC4927813 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to explore what parents know about their Children's boredom in school; specifically, the frequency, intensity, and antecedents of their Children's boredom, as well as how they cope with boredom. A questionnaire was administered to 437 grade 9 students (54% female, M age = 14.82) and their parents (72% mothers, 14% fathers, 12% both parents, M age = 45.26) measuring variables related to students boredom in mathematics class. Three different measurements were used to evaluate the accuracy of parents' judgments: (1) the correlation between parents' and students' answers, (2) the mean differences between parents' and students' answers, and (3) the mean values of absolute differences of parents' and students' answers. The results suggest that parents generally have an informed knowledge about their child's boredom and related facets. This is reflected by a mean correlation of medium size ( = 0.34) and a small mean effect size of the difference between parents' and students' judgments over all items ( = 0.20). Parents are also substantially better in judging their Children's boredom compared to guessing for all variables (mean effect size of = 0.65). They had the most precise judgments for the frequency and intensity of boredom. The antecedents of boredom (e.g., characteristics of instruction) were also well estimated by parents; specifically, parents tend to have a bias in favor for their children evidenced by overestimating antecedents that cannot be influenced by the students and underestimating those that can be influenced by the students. The least concordance was found between parents' and Children's perception of boredom coping strategies (e.g., accepting boredom), implying that parents lack information about how their children intentionally cope with boredom. Implications for research on student boredom are discussed as well as practical applications involving parents in boredom prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena C. Daschmann
- University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
- Thurgau University of Teacher EducationKreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Goetz
- University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
- Thurgau University of Teacher EducationKreuzlingen, Switzerland
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Cummings ML, Gao F, Thornburg KM. Boredom in the Workplace: A New Look at an Old Problem. HUMAN FACTORS 2016; 58:279-300. [PMID: 26490443 DOI: 10.1177/0018720815609503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We review historical and more recent efforts in boredom research and related fields. A framework is presented that organizes the various facets of boredom, particularly in supervisory control settings, and research gaps and future potential areas for study are highlighted. BACKGROUND Given the ubiquity of boredom across a wide spectrum of work environments--exacerbated by increasingly automated systems that remove humans from direct, physical system interaction and possibly increasing tedium in the workplace--there is a need not only to better understand the multiple facets of boredom in work environments but to develop targeted mitigation strategies. METHOD To better understand the relationships between the various influences and outcomes of boredom, a systems-based framework, called the Boredom Influence Diagram, is proposed that describes various elements of boredom and their interrelationships. RESULTS Boredom is closely related to vigilance, attention management, and task performance. This review highlights the need to develop more naturalistic experiments that reflect the characteristics of a boring work environment. CONCLUSION With the increase in automation, boredom in the workplace will likely become a more prevalent issue for motivation and retention. In addition, developing continuous measures of boredom based on physiological signals is critical. APPLICATION Personnel selection and improvements in system and task design can potentially mitigate boredom. However, more work is needed to develop and evaluate other potential interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fei Gao
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
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18
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Vodanovich SJ, Watt JD. Self-Report Measures of Boredom: An Updated Review of the Literature. THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 150:196-228. [PMID: 26646053 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2015.1074531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A detailed review of the psychometric measures of boredom was published approximately 12 years ago (Vodanovich, 2003). Since that time, numerous studies have been conducted on existing scales, and new measures of boredom have been developed. Given these assessment advancements, an updated review of self-report boredom scales is warranted. The primary focus of the current review is research published since 2003, and it includes a total of 16 boredom scales. The measures reviewed consist of two trait assessments (Boredom Proneness Scale, Boredom Susceptibility subscale of the Sensation Seeking Scale), five context-specific trait boredom scales (Boredom Coping Scale, Leisure Boredom Scale, Free Time Boredom Scale, Sexual Boredom Scale, Relational Boredom Scale), three assessments of state boredom (Multidimensional State Boredom Scale, State Boredom Measure, Boredom Experience Scale), and six context-specific state boredom measures-Lee's Job Boredom Scale, Dutch Boredom Scale, Boredom Coping Scale (Academic), the Boredom subscale of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire, Academic Boredom Scale, Precursors to Boredom Scale. In addition to providing a review of these measures, a brief critique of each scale is included, as well as suggestions for needed research focus.
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Abstract
The purpose of this article is to develop a testable model of both the antecedents and consequences of workplace boredom. This model is needed because recent evidence suggests that boredom in the workplace is on the rise, despite the apparent reduction in boring, monotonous jobs, which have traditionally been seen as the primary causes of boredom. To develop this model, we first clarify the construct of boredom and distinguish it from other related constructs in the psychological literature. We put forth a typology of boredom that we view as more realistic than a single definition. We then present a model of workplace boredom that integrates past research with a more contemporary approach based on societal trends and individual differences in susceptibility to boredom. Based on this model, we offer a number of research propositions as well as suggestions for potential ways of decreasing workplace boredom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve Jex
- Bowling Green State University, OH, USA
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20
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Jégaden D, Rio M, Bianco S, Lucas D, Loddé B, Dewitte J. L’ennui au travail et la disposition à l’ennui chez les marins : différence entre officiers et personnels d’exécution. ARCH MAL PROF ENVIRO 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.admp.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Bruursema K, Kessler SR, Spector PE. Bored employees misbehaving: The relationship between boredom and counterproductive work behaviour. WORK AND STRESS 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/02678373.2011.596670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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22
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Absorbed in the task: Personality measures predict engagement during task performance as tracked by error negativity and asymmetrical frontal activity. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2011; 10:441-53. [PMID: 21098805 DOI: 10.3758/cabn.10.4.441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We hypothesized that interactions between traits and context predict task engagement, as measured by the amplitude of the error-related negativity (ERN), performance, and relative frontal activity asymmetry (RFA). In Study 1, we found that drive for reward, absorption, and constraint independently predicted self-reported persistence. We hypothesized that, during a prolonged monotonous task, absorption would predict initial ERN amplitudes, constraint would delay declines in ERN amplitudes and deterioration of performance, and drive for reward would predict left RFA when a reward could be obtained. Study 2, employing EEG recordings, confirmed our predictions. The results showed that most traits that have in previous research been related to ERN amplitudes have a relationship with the motivational trait persistence in common. In addition, trait-context combinations that are likely associated with increased engagement predict larger ERN amplitudes and RFA. Together, these results support the hypothesis that engagement may be a common underlying factor predicting ERN amplitude.
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Mercer KB, Eastwood JD. Is boredom associated with problem gambling behaviour? It depends on what you mean by ‘boredom’. INTERNATIONAL GAMBLING STUDIES 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/14459791003754414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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24
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Introductie van een Nederlandstalige Schaal voor Gevoeligheid voor Verveling (NSGV). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03071803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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