Relationship between emotion, social interaction, cognitive style, and boredom

Abstract

There has been growing interest in the study of boredom in the literature. The primary aim of the present study is to fill in the research gap by examining the relationship between emotion, social interaction, cognitive style, and boredom. The sample consisted of 242 and 156 university students for Study 1 and Study 2 respectively. Study 1 comprised of a cross-sectional questionnaire and it explored how cognitive reappraisal, locus of control and loneliness contribute to boredom proneness. Study 2 obtained real-time data through experience sampling with a smartphone app. Whether state boredom was a distinct emotion and shared the same predictors as trait boredom were investigated. The impact of aloneness on state boredom was also measured. Test of proposed path model for boredom proneness yielded good fit to the data (CFI = 0.998, NNFI = 0.988, RMSEA = 0.035), providing support for the role of cognitive and emotional components in boredom proneness. Findings for Study 2 suggest that momentary boredom experience is distinct from other emotions. It was also found that higher loneliness led to higher state boredom. On the other hand, aloneness was not predictive of state boredom across participants. Multilevel analysis, however, indicated that within person, state boredom was significantly higher when one was alone, comparing to when one was with other people, and aloneness affected different people to different extents. In sum, the current study sheds light on the importance in considering cognitive style, emotional and social component in the formation of trait and state boredom. Implications for future research are discussed.