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On the function of boredom.

Shane W Bench1, Heather C Lench1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA.

Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 8, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Boredom, often overlooked, is a crucial emotion that motivates individuals to seek new goals when current ones are unfulfilling. This drive for change enhances opportunities for stimulation and personal growth.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Emotion Research
  • Human Behavior

Background:

  • Boredom is commonly perceived as insignificant, with limited scientific investigation.
  • Existing emotion theory and empirical data suggest boredom has significant implications for human functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose that boredom acts as a motivator for pursuing new goals when prior goals become non-beneficial.
  • To explore the specific and unique impacts of boredom on behavior, cognition, experience, and physiology.

Main Methods:

  • Review of limited extant literature on boredom.
  • Theoretical argumentation based on emotion theory and empirical evidence.

Main Results:

  • Boredom reduces attention to current tasks.
Keywords:
boredomdiscrete emotionemotionfunctional accountsnegative emotion

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  • Boredom is a negative and aversive experience.
  • Boredom increases autonomic arousal, preparing individuals to pursue alternative goals.

    • Conclusions:

    • Boredom motivates the pursuit of alternative goals and experiences.
    • By increasing the desire for change, boredom enhances opportunities for diverse stimulation.
    • Further experimental research on boredom is warranted.