Watching the clock: boredom and vigilance performance.

The current study investigated the relationship between a measure of trait boredom, Boredom Proneness, and vigilance performance on a variation of Mackworth's original clock test. Performance, assessed as Sensory Efficiency, was negatively correlated with Boredom Proneness scores early in the vigil but not during later trials. The results suggested that the trait of Boredom Proneness is predictive of performance on monotonous tasks within the first 10-min. block of trials; however, no differences in performance occurred on subsequent blocks, suggesting that as state boredom increases, differences between individuals diminish, e.g., a ceiling effect. The authors discuss the importance of examining Boredom Proneness as a multidimensional construct. Practical implications for these results are presented, particularly in terms of using Sensory Efficiency as a measure of performance during vigilance tasks.

Boredom proneness: its relationship to psychological- and physical-health symptoms.

The relationship between boredom proneness and health-symptom reporting was examined. Undergraduate students (N = 200) completed the Boredom Proneness Scale and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. A multiple analysis of covariance indicated that individuals with high boredom-proneness total scores reported significantly higher ratings on all five subscales of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (Obsessive-Compulsive, Somatization, Anxiety, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Depression). The results suggest that boredom proneness may be an important element to consider when assessing symptom reporting. Implications for determining the effects of boredom proneness on psychological- and physical-health symptoms. as well as the application in clinical settings, are discussed.

Boredom proneness and psychosocial development.

The effect of boredom proneness as measured by the Boredom Proneness Scale (R. F. Farmer & N. D. Sundberg, 1986) on college students' psychosocial development was investigated via the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA; R. B. Winston, T. K. Miller, & J. S. Prince, 1995). Low boredom-prone students had significantly higher scores on the following SDTLA measures: career planning, lifestyle planning, peer relationships, educational involvement, instrumental autonomy, emotional autonomy, interdependence, academic autonomy, and salubrious lifestyle. Gender differences on boredom proneness and psychosocial development measures are discussed.

Cognitive correlates of boredom proneness: the role of private self-consciousness and absorption.

The contributions of private self-consciousness and absorption in explaining boredom proneness were investigated. University students enrolled at a public university in the southeastern United States completed a packet containing the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS; R. Farmer & N. D. Sundberg, 1986), the Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS; A. Fenigstein, M. F. Scheier, & A. H. Buss, 1975), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS; A. Tellegen & G. Atkinson, 1974), the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS; J. T. Cacioppo, R. E. Petty, & C. F. Kao, 1984), and a demographic questionnaire. Scores on the Boredom Proneness subscale, Internal Stimulation, which indicates the difficulty in keeping oneself interested and entertained, were significantly lower for individuals high in absorption (a measure of attention). Individuals high in positive self-awareness, representing awareness of one's internal states, reported lower overall boredom. Individuals high in negative self-awareness, which focuses on evaluation and judgment, reported increased total boredom proneness scores. Implications of these findings for the treatment of boredom proneness and future research are discussed.

Relationship between time structure and procrastination.

The relationship between time structure and procrastination was investigated among 115 Irish undergraduate students. Significant negative zero-order correlations were found among scores for all five subscales of time structure and procrastination. A follow-up stepwise multiple regression indicated a significant multiple correlation (R = .61) between all five time structure subscale scores and procrastination. Significant predictors of procrastination were scores on the Time Structure subscales of Effective Organization followed by Sense of Purpose. These results suggest that strategies focusing on time management in conjunction with existential approaches of psychotherapy may be an effective intervention for reducing procrastination.

Mental health values of clergy: effects of open-mindedness, religious affiliation, and education in counseling.

Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that both religious affiliation and education in counseling of 44 Episcopal and 51 Catholic clergy had over-all effects on their scores on the Mental Health Values Questionnaire. In separate univariate analyses, significant effects were found on six of eight mental health value subscales. On all subscales in which significant interactions occurred, much of the variance was found among the clergy who were least well educated in counseling. As education in counseling increased, perceptions of mental health values became more consistent between affiliations. Mental health values of clergy were similar to those of a sample of psychotherapists, with Self-acceptance and Good Interpersonal Relations being the highest scored values for both groups.

Relationship between boredom proneness and impulsivity.

As part of a larger investigation, the relationship between boredom proneness and impulsiveness was investigated among 381 undergraduates. A significant positive correlation of .56 obtained between boredom proneness and impulsivity. Significant positive associations were also found between scores on boredom proneness and impulsiveness subscales.

Boredom proneness: its relationship to positive and negative affect.

170 undergraduate students completed the Boredom Proneness Scale by Farmer and Sundberg and the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist by Zuckerman and Lubin. Significant negative relationships were found between boredom proneness and negative affect scores (i.e., Depression, Hostility, Anxiety). Significant positive correlations also obtained between boredom proneness and positive affect (i.e., Positive Affect, Sensation Seeking). The correlations between boredom proneness "subscales" and positive and negative affect were congruent with those obtained using total boredom proneness scores. Implications for counseling are discussed.