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On boredom: lack of challenge and meaning as distinct boredom experiences

On boredom: lack of challenge and meaning as distinct boredom experiences
On boredom: lack of challenge and meaning as distinct boredom experiences
Boredom is a common experience that affects people on multiple levels, including their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and actions. Not much research, however, has examined what makes the experience of boredom distinct from other affective experiences. Based on earlier research on boredom and our meaning-regulation framework, we conducted a series of four studies that demonstrate the distinct experiential content of boredom. More than other negative affective experiences (sadness, anger, and frustration), boredom makes people feel unchallenged while they think that the situation and their actions are meaningless (Study 1). The distinct experiential content of boredom is associated with boredom proneness (Study 2) and with state boredom experiences (Study 3). In addition, the distinct experiential content of boredom is affected by contextual features (Study 4). This series of studies provides a systematic understanding of what people feel, think, and want to do when bored, distinctive from other negative experiences.
boredom, challenge, meaning, emotion
0146-7239
181-194
van Tilburg, Wijnand A. P.
7396f6c2-3a43-4d02-a4a0-97efe4d5ab12
Igou, Eric R.
6cb4c069-c730-407b-bfbd-7c58007459df
van Tilburg, Wijnand A. P.
7396f6c2-3a43-4d02-a4a0-97efe4d5ab12
Igou, Eric R.
6cb4c069-c730-407b-bfbd-7c58007459df

van Tilburg, Wijnand A. P. and Igou, Eric R. (2012) On boredom: lack of challenge and meaning as distinct boredom experiences. Motivation and Emotion, 36 (2), 181-194. (doi:10.1007/s11031-011-9234-9).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Boredom is a common experience that affects people on multiple levels, including their thoughts, feelings, motivations, and actions. Not much research, however, has examined what makes the experience of boredom distinct from other affective experiences. Based on earlier research on boredom and our meaning-regulation framework, we conducted a series of four studies that demonstrate the distinct experiential content of boredom. More than other negative affective experiences (sadness, anger, and frustration), boredom makes people feel unchallenged while they think that the situation and their actions are meaningless (Study 1). The distinct experiential content of boredom is associated with boredom proneness (Study 2) and with state boredom experiences (Study 3). In addition, the distinct experiential content of boredom is affected by contextual features (Study 4). This series of studies provides a systematic understanding of what people feel, think, and want to do when bored, distinctive from other negative experiences.

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More information

Published date: 1 June 2012
Keywords: boredom, challenge, meaning, emotion
Organisations: Psychology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 348472
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/348472
ISSN: 0146-7239
PURE UUID: 635ba5eb-e823-4398-a21f-9cefbaa6f4ae

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Date deposited: 13 Feb 2013 15:14
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 13:01

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Contributors

Author: Wijnand A. P. van Tilburg
Author: Eric R. Igou

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