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Behavioral Sciences
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Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 22877

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. James Danckert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Interests: boredom; mental model updating; cognitive neuroscience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

From the early days of the pandemic it became apparent that boredom—both the in-the-moment feeling state and the trait disposition—played an important role in everyday experiences. Now, almost two years into the pandemic, we have a chance to examine the influence of state and trait boredom during this unprecedented time. How has boredom affected mental health? Has our move to a greater reliance on online communication and interaction been affected by boredom? What effect has boredom had on compliance with the restrictions imposed by lockdowns? There is also a unique opportunity to explore possible cross-cultural differences in the expression of boredom in these times. In the past, people may have taken boredom for granted as just a “part of the furniture of life”. What the unique and extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic have shown us is that boredom is far from trivial. It is a self-regulatory signal that demands our attention to foster adaptive responses that were harder to engage during this pandemic. For this Special Issue, we invite empirical contributions related to state and trait boredom in the pandemic, including systematic reviews as well as qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. Through this Special Issue, we aim to explore how boredom “in the wild” has influenced our capacity to cope with these extraordinary times. 

Prof. Dr. James Danckert
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 203 KiB  
Editorial
Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic
by James Danckert
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12110428 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1411
Abstract
The past two and half years have been witness to an extraordinary global pandemic with obvious and devastating health outcomes [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 330 KiB  
Article
Consumed by Boredom: Food Choice Motivation and Weight Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Wijnand A. P. Van Tilburg, Reinhard Pekrun and Eric R. Igou
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(10), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12100366 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2664
Abstract
Boredom is an established cause and correlate of eating behavior. Yet, existing work offers a scattered range of plausible motivations for why this is. We examined among 302 people representative of the adult UK population what motivations they had for selecting food during [...] Read more.
Boredom is an established cause and correlate of eating behavior. Yet, existing work offers a scattered range of plausible motivations for why this is. We examined among 302 people representative of the adult UK population what motivations they had for selecting food during the COVID-19 pandemic and how this related to boredom. As predicted, bored people choose food less for health reasons and more for convenience. Boredom reduced ethical and ‘natural content’ motivations for selecting food and was not associated with choosing food to regulate one’s mood or to experience unfamiliarity. Boredom was also associated with greater absolute changes in weight over the course of the pandemic. Boredom did not predict weight gains or losses overall. These findings offer insights into the role that boredom plays in eating motivations in particular and health-relevant outcomes in general. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
15 pages, 492 KiB  
Article
Examining the Longitudinal Associations between Adjustment Disorder Symptoms and Boredom during COVID-19
by Veerpal Bambrah, Amanda Wyman, Eva Friedman and John D. Eastwood
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12090311 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a myriad of stressors, underscoring the relevance of adjustment disorder during these extraordinary times. Boredom—as a feeling and as a dispositional characteristic—is an equally pertinent experience during the pandemic that has been cross-sectionally linked to various mental [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a myriad of stressors, underscoring the relevance of adjustment disorder during these extraordinary times. Boredom—as a feeling and as a dispositional characteristic—is an equally pertinent experience during the pandemic that has been cross-sectionally linked to various mental health difficulties. The current longitudinal study expanded on this work, examining the associations between adjustment disorder symptoms and boredom (both as a feeling and as a trait) over time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Community participants completed questionnaires three times, rating their trait boredom at Time 1 and their feelings of boredom and adjustment disorder symptoms (preoccupation with a pandemic stressor and failure to adapt) over the past week at Times 1–3. Latent growth curve analyses found that an increase in feelings of boredom was significantly associated with increased preoccupation with a pandemic stressor and increased difficulties with adapting over time. Additionally, trait boredom significantly predicted changes in preoccupation and the failure to adapt, such that participants high in trait boredom increasingly struggled with these symptoms over time. Our results suggest that increased feelings of boredom and a trait disposition towards boredom can be detrimental to people’s ability to adjust over time to the stressors associated with the pandemic. Boredom, as an aversive state and as a chronic difficulty, may be important to address in treatment approaches for adjustment disorder symptoms during COVID-19. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
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11 pages, 513 KiB  
Article
The Struggle to Entertain Yourself: Consequences of the Internal Stimulation Factor of Boredom Proneness during Pandemic Lockdown
by Van Dang and Heather C. Lench
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12090303 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1626
Abstract
Boredom is a ubiquitous human experience that most people try to avoid feeling. People who are prone to boredom experience negative consequences. This study examined the impact of individual differences in the ability to entertain the self (the internal stimulation factor) on boredom [...] Read more.
Boredom is a ubiquitous human experience that most people try to avoid feeling. People who are prone to boredom experience negative consequences. This study examined the impact of individual differences in the ability to entertain the self (the internal stimulation factor) on boredom experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United States. The internal and external stimulation factors predicted greater boredom frequency, boredom duration, and boredom intensity, each of which reflected a different aspect of emotional experience. The relationship among these factors was complex. A serial mediation analysis indicated the internal stimulation factor predicted the frequency of boredom, which in turn predicted the duration of boredom, which predicted boredom intensity. This pattern of relationships is potentially unique to boredom among emotional experiences. These findings provide insight into how boredom functions during a period in which daily activities and coping resources that would normally be available became severely limited. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
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14 pages, 624 KiB  
Article
Boredom in a Time of Uncertainty: State and Trait Boredom’s Associations with Psychological Health during COVID-19
by Emily R. Weiss, McWelling Todman, Emily Maple and Rebecca R. Bunn
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12080298 - 21 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3263
Abstract
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have demonstrated increases in boredom and its negative impact on mental health. This cross-sectional study examines state and trait boredom at four different points of the pandemic using an online sample of participants from the United States ( [...] Read more.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have demonstrated increases in boredom and its negative impact on mental health. This cross-sectional study examines state and trait boredom at four different points of the pandemic using an online sample of participants from the United States (n = 783). The results showed significant increases in boredom proneness, state boredom, substance use, loneliness, and distress. Boredom was associated with increases in each of these variables and a greater likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19. Moreover, the increases in distress, loneliness, and substance use became non-significant when controlling for boredom. Boredom proneness remained associated with all adverse outcomes when accounting for state boredom. In contrast, the relationships between state boredom and most adverse outcomes lost significance when controlling for boredom proneness, and state boredom was positively associated with increased hope for the future. Overall, the results suggest that high boredom proneness is an important vulnerability factor for poor psychological health and risky behaviors during the pandemic. However, high levels of recent state boredom, independent of boredom proneness, do not predict similarly negative outcomes. State boredom may indicate the extent to which one remains hopeful that circumstances will improve without resorting to risky, potentially maladaptive coping strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
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9 pages, 255 KiB  
Article
Difficulties with Emotion Regulation during COVID-19 and Associations with Boredom in College Students
by Elizabeth H. Weybright, Erica L. Doering and Sammy Perone
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12080296 - 20 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2148
Abstract
COVID-19 related restrictions resulted in a significant lifestyle change for many young adults in the United States. Although boredom and emotional self-regulation are clearly connected in empirical research, the question remains of what this association looks like in unique circumstances, such as early [...] Read more.
COVID-19 related restrictions resulted in a significant lifestyle change for many young adults in the United States. Although boredom and emotional self-regulation are clearly connected in empirical research, the question remains of what this association looks like in unique circumstances, such as early in COVID-19 pandemic at the height of restrictions. The purpose of the current study is to identify the association between boredom proneness and emotion regulation in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students who completed a Boredom Coping Survey between October and December 2019 (n = 481) were recruited for a follow-up COVID-19 Boredom Survey in April 2020. Data from this sub-sample (n = 58) were used in a hierarchical regression predicting the role of boredom proneness on COVID-19 pandemic emotion regulation difficulties while controlling for age, sex, and COVID-19 related lifestyle changes. Findings indicated higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties were associated with higher levels of boredom proneness above and beyond demographic variables and COVID-19 lifestyle changes. Results are in line with prior theory and research on the importance of the environment or situational factors to the experience of boredom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
9 pages, 762 KiB  
Article
Sound and Silence: The Effects of Environmental Conditions on State Boredom in an Online Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Alana J. Anderson, Claire E. McMeen, Sammy Perone and Elizabeth H. Weybright
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12080282 - 12 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2658
Abstract
Boredom is a negative emotion commonly experienced in mundane situations. Boredom is thought to arise from a mismatch between individuals and their expectation for environmental stimulation. People attempt to reduce boredom by increasing the stimulation in their environment (e.g., turning on TV or [...] Read more.
Boredom is a negative emotion commonly experienced in mundane situations. Boredom is thought to arise from a mismatch between individuals and their expectation for environmental stimulation. People attempt to reduce boredom by increasing the stimulation in their environment (e.g., turning on TV or music). Theories of boredom suggest external stimulation may cue the individual to expect more stimulation than the mundane task offers—thereby increasing boredom. Researchers adapted lab-based tasks to online during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed participants to set the study’s environmental conditions. Our method involved data collected online during the COVID-19 pandemic. We tested whether 137 college-age participants who reported being alone in a noisy room experienced more boredom after a mundane task than those who were alone in a quiet room. Results showed individuals in a noisier environment reported more boredom following a repetitive task than those in a quieter environment. Some people, high in trait boredom, experience boredom more frequently or cannot tolerate it. Our results revealed that the effects of environmental condition remained after controlling for the influence of trait boredom. In the discussion, we describe links to extant boredom research and implications for researchers collecting data online and individuals attempting to mitigate boredom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
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8 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
Boredom Proneness and Rule-Breaking: A Persistent Relation One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Allison C. Drody, Lydia J. Hicks and James Danckert
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(8), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12080251 - 24 Jul 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1688
Abstract
Research conducted within the first year of the pandemic demonstrated that boredom prone individuals were more likely to break rules (e.g., social distancing) aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. It is of interest whether this relation persisted deeper into the pandemic, given [...] Read more.
Research conducted within the first year of the pandemic demonstrated that boredom prone individuals were more likely to break rules (e.g., social distancing) aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19. It is of interest whether this relation persisted deeper into the pandemic, given that initial results may have reflected the extraordinary nature of the early stages of the pandemic on one hand, or more stable dispositions on the other. Therefore, in the Summer of 2021, we administered an online survey to investigate whether boredom proneness predicted COVID-19 rule-breaking over one year into the pandemic (and approximately one year after the earlier studies). We found that boredom prone individuals remained more likely to engage in COVID-19 rule-breaking. Our results suggest that a trait disposition towards boredom exerts a persistent, long-term influence on behaviour, one that is detrimental to personal well-being during the pandemic. Adherence to public health measures might be improved by encouraging individuals to find adaptive ways of coping with boredom. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
13 pages, 563 KiB  
Article
Creativity, Boredom Proneness and Well-Being in the Pandemic
by Nicholaus P. Brosowsky, Nathaniel Barr, Jhotisha Mugon, Abigail A. Scholer, Paul Seli and James Danckert
Behav. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12030068 - 02 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4378
Abstract
Throughout the course of the pandemic, it has become clear that the strictures of social isolation and various levels of lockdown constraints have impacted people’s well-being. Here, our aim was to explore relations between trait dispositions associated with boredom proneness, self-regulation and well-being [...] Read more.
Throughout the course of the pandemic, it has become clear that the strictures of social isolation and various levels of lockdown constraints have impacted people’s well-being. Here, our aim was to explore relations between trait dispositions associated with boredom proneness, self-regulation and well-being using data collected early in the pandemic. Specifically, we explored whether the tendency to engage in everyday creative pursuits (e.g., making your own greeting cards) would act as a prophylactic against poor well-being. Results showed that well-being was higher for those individuals who increased engagement with creative pursuits during the early stages of the pandemic. That is, people who engaged more in everyday creative activities also reported higher levels of self-esteem, optimism, and positive affect. In contrast, those who pursued fewer creative outlets had higher levels of depression and anxiety, were higher in boredom proneness, and reported experiencing more negative affect. As we emerge from the pandemic, these data provide a clue as to how people might plan to cope adaptively with the restrictive circumstances this extreme world event engendered. More generally, these data provide support for the notion that everyday creativity (and not necessarily creative expertise) has positive associations for well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Boredom in the COVID-19 Pandemic)
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