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Once a boring task always a boring task? Interest as a self-regulatory mechanism
C Sansone1, C Weir, L Harpster
1Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|September 1, 1992
Summary
Individuals can boost motivation for boring tasks by using interest-enhancing strategies. This self-regulation process involves redefining the activity, leading to sustained engagement and task completion.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Motivation Science
Background:
- Maintaining motivation for necessary but uninteresting activities is a common challenge.
- Self-regulation plays a crucial role in sustained effort towards goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a process by which individuals regulate motivation for uninteresting activities.
- To explore the efficacy of interest-enhancing strategies in promoting sustained engagement.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Participants generated strategies to make novel tasks more interesting.
- Study 2: Participants employed these strategies under conditions of boredom, perceived necessity, and strategy availability.
- Study 3: Assessed beliefs about interest regulation compared to other self-regulatory strategies.
Main Results:
- Strategy use was linked to a redefinition of the activity and increased likelihood of future performance.
- Self-regulatory attempts were more pronounced when the task was currently boring and a reason to continue existed.
- Beliefs in Study 3 highlighted the importance of interest regulation for everyday activities.
Conclusions:
- Individuals can proactively regulate motivation by employing interest-enhancing strategies.
- These strategies facilitate a shift in activity perception, fostering continued performance.
- Interest regulation is a key component of self-regulation for managing mundane tasks.