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Chu J, Tenenbaum JB, Schulz LE. In praise of folly: flexible goals and human cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:628-642. [PMID: 38616478 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Humans often pursue idiosyncratic goals that appear remote from functional ends, including information gain. We suggest that this is valuable because goals (even prima facie foolish or unachievable ones) contain structured information that scaffolds thinking and planning. By evaluating hypotheses and plans with respect to their goals, humans can discover new ideas that go beyond prior knowledge and observable evidence. These hypotheses and plans can be transmitted independently of their original motivations, adapted across generations, and serve as an engine of cultural evolution. Here, we review recent empirical and computational research underlying goal generation and planning and discuss the ways that the flexibility of our motivational system supports cognitive gains for both individuals and societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Chu
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | | | - Laura E Schulz
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Martarelli CS, Weibel D, Popic D, Wolff W. Time in suspense: investigating boredom and related states in a virtual waiting room. Cogn Emot 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38738651 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2349279] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
We studied the role of time in the experience of boredom and its relationship with various psychological states using virtual reality. Sixty-six participants visited nine virtual waiting rooms and evaluated their perception of time and psychological experiences, including boredom, exhaustion, restlessness, amotivation, frustration, anger, unhappiness, spontaneous and deliberate mind-wandering, fantasy, and absorption. Results confirmed the relationship between boredom and time perception, showing that the higher the levels of boredom, the slower time seems to pass. However, manipulating time-related information via a slower/faster ticking clock did not affect boredom. We also found that boredom increased as participants progressed through the nine virtual rooms, and its affective characterisation over time remained stable, while its cognitive characterisation fluctuated. While boredom was consistently associated with exhaustion, restlessness, amotivation, and frustration, its relationship with fantasy, absorption, spontaneous mind-wandering and deliberate mind-wandering, evolved over time. These findings provide novel insights into the intricate and differentiated cognitive and affective consequences of being bored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Weibel
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Deian Popic
- Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Brig, Switzerland
| | - Wanja Wolff
- Department of Sport Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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3
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Fjell AM, Walhovd KB. Individual sleep need is flexible and dynamically related to cognitive function. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:422-430. [PMID: 38379065 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01827-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Given that sleep deprivation studies consistently show that short sleep causes neurocognitive deficits, the effects of insufficient sleep on brain health and cognition are of great interest and concern. Here we argue that experimentally restricted sleep is not a good model for understanding the normal functions of sleep in naturalistic settings. Cross-disciplinary research suggests that human sleep is remarkably dependent on environmental conditions and social norms, thus escaping universally applicable rules. Sleep need varies over time and differs between individuals, showing a complex relationship with neurocognitive function. This aspect of sleep is rarely addressed in experimental work and is not reflected in expert recommendations about sleep duration. We recommend focusing on the role of individual and environmental factors to improve our understanding of the relationship between human sleep and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders M Fjell
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Center for Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Kristine B Walhovd
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Computational Radiology and Artificial Intelligence, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Zerr K, Seiler JPH, Rumpel S, Tüscher O. Validation of a German version of the Boredom Proneness Scale and the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2905. [PMID: 38316871 PMCID: PMC10844236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53236-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The scientific interest in boredom is growing over the past decades. Boredom has not only been linked to symptoms of psychopathology, but also shows a remarkable effect on individual behavior under healthy conditions. Current characterizations of boredom in humans mostly rely on self-report assessments which proved to faithfully reflect boredom in a vast range of experimental environments. Two of the most commonly used and prominent self-report scales in order to assess boredom are the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) and the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS). Here, we present the German translations of both questionnaires and their validation. We obtained and analyzed psychometric data from more than 800 healthy individuals. We find that the German MSBS and BPS show vast congruence with their originals in respect to item statistics, internal reliability and validity. In particular, we find remarkable associations of state boredom and trait boredom with indicators of mental burden. Testing the factor structure of both questionnaires, we find supporting evidence for a 5-factor model of the MSBS, whereas the BPS in line with its original shows an irregular, inconsistent factor structure. Thus, we validate the German versions of MSBS and BPS and set a starting point for further studies of boredom in German-speaking collectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Zerr
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Johannes P-H Seiler
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Simon Rumpel
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, 55131, Mainz, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Wallstraße 7, 55122, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Ackermannweg 4, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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Nettinga J, Naseem S, Yakobi O, Willoughby T, Danckert J. Exploring EEG resting state as a function of boredom proneness in pre-adolescents and adolescents. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:123-135. [PMID: 37978080 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06733-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Boredom is a prominent experience commonly reported in school settings and associated with poor academic achievement. Little is known, however, about the age-related trajectory of boredom. Here we examined self-reported ratings of boredom in a cross-sectional sample of 8 to 15-year olds (n = 185) as a function of resting state EEG. Results indicated that reports of boredom in school rose as a function of age. Resting state EEG showed a decrease in theta power with age perhaps reflective of increased control. While no effects were evident in beta and alpha bands, we did observe an interaction between boredom and age for frontal asymmetry such that for those higher in boredom, the asymmetry increased with age. Finally, for theta to beta ratios there were main effects of age (i.e., a decrease in theta/beta ratio with age) and boredom such that those higher in boredom had higher theta/beta ratios over frontal and central brain areas. The results are discussed in the context of prior work on school-related boredom and provide several important avenues for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Nettinga
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Sarah Naseem
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Ofir Yakobi
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Teena Willoughby
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catherines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - James Danckert
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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Seiler JPH, Rumpel S. Modeling fashion as an emergent collective behavior of bored individuals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20480. [PMID: 37993553 PMCID: PMC10665449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47749-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Boredom is an aversive mental state that is typically evoked by monotony and drives individuals to seek novel information. Despite this effect on individual behavior, the consequences of boredom for collective behavior remain elusive. Here, we introduce an agent-based model of collective fashion behavior in which simplified agents interact randomly and repeatedly choose alternatives from a circular space of color variants. Agents are endowed with a memory of past experiences and a boredom parameter, promoting avoidance of monotony. Simulating collective color trends with this model captures aspects of real trends observed in fashion magazines. We manipulate the two parameters and observe that the boredom parameter is essential for perpetuating fashion dynamics in our model. Furthermore, highly bored agents lead future population trends, when acting coherently or being highly popular. Taken together, our study illustrates that highly bored individuals can guide collective dynamics of a population to continuously explore different variants of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes P-H Seiler
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Simon Rumpel
- Institute of Physiology, Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 19, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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