Cognitive Correlates of Boredom Proneness: The Role of Private Self-Consciousness and Absorption

Abstract

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.