Boredom as a seeking state: Boredom prompts the pursuit of novel (even negative) experiences.

Abstract

Building on functional models of emotion, we propose that boredom creates a seeking state that prompts people to explore new experiences, even if those experiences are hedonically negative. Specifically, as emotional responses fade, boredom motivates the pursuit of alternative experiences that differ from the experience that resulted in boredom. Participants who reported a higher degree of boredom after a neutral task were more likely to choose negative experiences (Study 1). Compared with a low-boredom condition, participants in a high-boredom condition desired novel experiences and, as a result of this desire, were more likely to choose novel negative experiences (Study 2). In Study 3, participants were made bored by positive or negative stimuli. Participants in the positive-boredom conditions were more likely to choose a novel experience that was more negative; participants in the negative-boredom conditions were more likely to choose a novel experience that was more positive. These findings reveal that boredom motivates people to seek out novel experiences that elicit different (even more negative) feelings. (PsycINFO Database Record

Bored into depletion? Towards a tentative integration of perceived self-control exertion and boredom as guiding signals for goal-directed behavior

“…), boredom appears to track the diminishing value of an activity, thereby serving as a prompt to explore more interesting or enjoying alternatives (e.g., transcribing this text is boring, I should rather change activity) (Westgate & Wilson, 2018). Importantly, what is deemed rewarding likely depends on the situation a person finds itself in: In addition to instigating a shift to more pleasurable behavioral alternatives, boredom might sometimes even prompt a shift towards hedonically negative experiences (Bench & Lench, 2019). It has been suggested, that whether boredom causes people to seek positive or negative experiences depends on the type of experience that has led to boredom.…”

Boring Thoughts and Bored Minds: The MAC Model of Boredom and Cognitive Engagement

“…Boredom is a highly aversive state; when given the choice, people will choose even very negative stimuli (e.g., electric shock) over being bored (Bench & Lench, 2017;Havermans et al, 2015;Nederkoorn, Vancleef, Wilkenhöner, Claes, & Havermans, 2016;Wilson et al, 2014). In one study, for example, when participants watched an 85-s clip of a tennis game on repeat for an hour, they shocked themselves an average of 22 times (93% shocked themselves at least once; Havermans et al, 2015).…”

Langeweile ist nicht langweilig

“…So bemerken beispielsweise Stockdale und Coyne [86] in ihrer Diskussion: "Die aktuelle Studie unterstützt die wachsende Anzahl an Studien, die darauf hinweisen, dass die Nutzung von sozialen Online-Netzwerken zur Bekämpfung von Langeweile … mit einem erhöhten Risiko verbunden sein kann, pathologische Tendenzen und Verhaltensmuster gegenüber sozialen Online-Netzwerken zu entwickeln. 4…”

“…In einer weiteren Studie wurde gezeigt, dass ein langweiliges Video nicht nur zu einem erhöhten Konsum von Schokolade, sondern auch zu sich selbst zugefügten schmerzhaften Elektroschocks führt [49]. Eine dritte Studie zeigte, dass dieses Verhalten spezifisch für die Langeweile ist und nicht bei einem anderen negativen Affekt (Trauer) auftritt [74] [4]. Die Autoren hatten schon Jahre vorher die Hypothese vertreten, dass Langeweile ein Indikator dafür ist, dass eine gegenwärtige Situation ihren potenziellen Wert verloren hat.…”

“…"Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchung stützen diese Hypothese und zeigen, dass Langeweile das Streben nach alternativen (noch negativeren) Erfahrungen motivieren kann. […] Außerhalb des Labors könnte dieses, die Langeweile begleitende Streben nach negativen Erfahrungen in einer Reihe von Hoch-Risiko-Verhaltensweisen mit potenziell schwerwiegenden Konsequenzen resultieren", schreiben die Autoren in ihrer Diskussion [4].…”