Can boredom help? Increased prosocial intentions in response to boredom

Abstract

Boredom is typically regarded a nuisance. Past research on boredom depicts this common emotion as a correlate of many detrimental psychological and social factors, including addiction, depression, discrimination, and aggression. We present a more nuanced perspective on boredom. Specifically, we propose and test that state boredom serves an important self-regulatory function with the potential to foster positive interpersonal consequences: It signals a lack of purpose in activity and fosters a search for meaningful engagement. We examined whether boredom can subsequently cause prosocial intentions if the corresponding prosocial behavior is seen as purposeful. As predicted, boredom, which is characterized by a search for meaning (Pilot Study), promoted prosocial intentions (Experiment 1), in particular when the corresponding behavior was seen as highly meaningful (Experiment 2). Our novel findings suggest that boredom can have desirable consequences, and recasts this emotion as not merely good or bad but rather as personally and socially functional.

Motivational processes and dysfunctional mechanisms of social media use among adolescents: A qualitative focus group study

“…However, recent evidence suggests that boredom also has positive functions and may aid creative thinking and redefine life goals and purposeful behaviour (Bench & Lench, 2013;Caldwell, Darling, Payne, & Bowdy, 1999;Mann, 2017;Throuvala, Griffiths, Rennoldson, & Kuss, 2018a;Tilburg & Igou, 2017).…”

On Boredom and Perceptions of Heroes: A Meaning-Regulation Approach to Heroism

“…The current research indicates how people could cope with such a meaning threat, here boredom proneness, by deriving meaning from historic heroic exemplars. In earlier research, we could demonstrate that the boredom increases nostalgic memories , social identification with ingroups rather than outgroups (Van Tilburg & Igou, 2011b), and adoptions of more extreme political attitudes (Van Tilburg & Igou, 2016c), and increased pro-social behavior (Van Tilburg & Igou, 2016a). Recently, it was also found that boredom increases unhealthy eating (Koball, Meers, Storfer-Isser, Domoff, & Musher-Eizenman, 2012) as a means to reduce the salience of the meaning threat caused by boredom (Moynihan, Van Tilburg, Igou, Wisman, Donnelly, & Mulcair, 2015).…”

“…The focus of this research is on the self-regulatory processes triggered by boredom experiences, directed at counteracting the negative repercussions of its causes (e.g., Sansone, Weir, Harpster, & Morgan, 1992). In particular, through emotionally signaling a lack of challenge and meaning at hand, boredom triggers attempts directed at finding meaning in activities, and life in general (e.g., Van Tilburg & Igou, 2011, 2016a, 2016b. That is, boredom spurs attempts aimed at overcoming an acute lack of meaning.…”

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

“…Most studies looking at this question have offered only dichotomous choices (e.g., electric shocks or food) -one option which participants may accept or reject. The few studies that have offered a broader choice of alternatives have found that bored people prefer exciting, interesting, and meaningful alternatives (Bryant & Zillmann, 1984;Moynihan et al, 2015;van Tilbourg & Igou, 2012;van Tilburg & Igou, 2016b;van Tilburg & Igou, 2016c). However, these results do not explain why or when people prefer certain alternatives over others.…”