BOREDOM : A STUDY

SUBMITTED BY: SHRIYA KALRA B10110

INTRODUCTION:

“Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need” French philosopher Voltaire
The word bored first was used in the English language in a private letter by the Earl of Carlisle to articulate his pity in 1768.
Bore symbolizing a thing that bores made its first appearance in the English language 1778. Bore meaning a tiresome person emerged in 1812.
The first citation of the noun boredom occurred in 1864, less than a century and a half ago.
The word ‘boredom’ has emerged only recently in the English, which suggests that boredom experience in prior eras was not as prominent a part of the society as in the contemporary times Boredom researcher Orin Klapp has documented an enormous increase in the use of the word “boredom” between 1931 and 1961.a study of west Germany found, that between 1952 and 1978, the percentage of the population who considered boredom “a great problem” in filling leisure time showed a jump of almost 50%. The past half-century, particularly the last decade, has seen an expanding chronicling of the power of boredom in impelling and shaping behaviour. Newspaper stories and magazine articles regularly trumpet boredom’s more dramatic effects-homicides and suicides.
Boredom is the answer to a lot of complex questions and shapes many things in today’s world; a few of them are listed below boredom has a major part to play

Entertainment and infotainment enterprises must offer interesting, entertaining programs, services, and products, or risk seeing their clientele go elsewhere for the highly-prized but increasingly rare/elusive experience of interest/entertainment

Businesses that provide an interesting or entertaining consumer experience are more likely to attract and retain clientele than their less-entertaining competitors Advertisers must continually grapple with the problem of getting their clients’ products and services noticed and remembered above the daily torrent of competing messages/advertisements, and in the face of an increasingly sophisticated consumer Students with life-long exposure to the glitz and buzz of interactive video games and contemporary multimedia entertainment/infotainments can find the traditional classroom milieu to be dull, boring, and difficult to fully pay attention to Teachers working in the traditional school classroom environment can have difficulty engaging and maintaining the interest and attention of modern-day students Couples gaining familiarity with one another can begin to experience increasing difficulty maintaining interest in their mates and/or excitement in the relationship Individuals have the challenge of capturing and maintaining the interest/attention of a potential mate, friend, or employer, in the face of an increasingly jaded “consumer”

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK :
DEFINITION:
Boredom has been defined by various persons and different disciplines in various ways. Some of these are: * Leary et al. have defined boredom as “an affective experience associated with cognitive attentional processes”This article is not included in your organization's subscription. However, you may be able to access this article under your organization's agreement with Elsevier. * Boredom is defined by James F. O'Hanlon as a unique psychophysiological state possessing interrelated and inseparable emotional, motivational, perceptual and cognitive concomitants. * Boredom has been defined by C. D. Fisher in terms of its central psychological processes: “an unpleasant, transient affective state in which the individual feels a pervasive lack of interest in and difficulty concentrating on the current activity.” * Whereas the oxford dictionary defines it as the state of feeling bored.

COMPONENTS OF BOREDOM:
There are three types of boredom, all of which involve problems of engagement of attention. These include: * Times when we are prevented from engaging in something, * When we are forced to engage in some unwanted activity, or * When we are simply unable, for no apparent reason, to maintain engagement in any activity or spectacle. * Boredom proneness is a tendency to experience boredom of all types. Although boredom is often viewed as a trivial and mild irritant, proneness to boredom has been linked to a very diverse range of possibly psychological, physical, educational, and social problems.

SCOPE:
The scope of boredom can be analysed at two levels-one at the individual level and the other at the group level.
As an individual, boredom can be attributed to the disinterest shown by the individual in any type of work.
As a group, boredom can be caused by the repetitive nature of the job or by the strict policies of the organization.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE: * John D. Watt and Michael B. Hargis | Department of Management, University of Central Arkansas, 210-B BBA, Conway, AR 72035, USA | Published online: 1 October 2009 This investigation tries to study the relationship between boredom and workplace perceptions such as subjective underemployment and perceived organizational support. The study is based on interviews and performance ratings of a sample of healthcare employees. Based on the study the authors concluded that boredom prone workers receive lower performance ratings from their supervisors and consider themselves as underemployed and undervalued. This is the first study in which a sample from a complex work domain is considered rather than vigilance jobs. The results of this study have direct implications for the design and implementation of selection programs. * Steven J. Kass1, Stephen J. Vodanovich2 and Anne Callender2 (1) | Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL, 32514-5751 | (2) | University of West Florida, USA | This study investigates the relationship between job outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, absenteeism, and tenure) and measures of state (Job Boredom Scale) and trait (Boredom Proneness Scale) boredom. The sample for the study consists of workers of a manufacturing plant. The study indicated that workers having high scores in both experiments were significantly more dissatisfied with their work, pay, promotion, supervisor, and co-workers. The study also concluded that absenteeism and organizational tenure have a positive relationship with job boredom. This study has implications in the field of job design and personnel selection. * Boredom: A Review Author: Smith, Richard P. Source: Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Volume 23, Number 3, June 1981 , pp. 329-340(12) This article reviews psychological and psychiatric studies of boredom from 1926 to the present. Based on this careful study the author concludes that extroverts are especially susceptible to boredom. Stimulus factors like repetitiousness, lack of novelty, and monotony have a direct relationship with boredom and that boredom is countered by coping strategies such as daydreaming, motor restlessness, exploration, response variability, withdrawal from the boring situation etc. The author also concluded that not a lot of research has been done on the subject as during the review period there has been less than one paper published annually and the experimental methods have generally been traditional.

EMPIRICAL STUDY: The method employed for the study was divided into four stages: * Stage 1: The collection of quantitative data from the 30 respondents using standard questionnaire. * Stage 2: The analysis of the collected data using statistical tools, and comparison with historical data. * Stage 3: Selection of individuals based on their scores for interviews. * Stage 4: Generalizations drawn from the above study.

* STAGE 1:
A sample size of 30 people were chosen and asked to fill out the standard questionnaire, the boredom proneness scale.
The boredom Proneness Scale measures one’s propensity to become bored. It specifically used to determine the cause for periods of boredom and the steps to combat it. It was originally developed in 1986 by Norman D. Sundberg and Richard F. Farmer of the University of Oregon. It was the first scale designed to measure boredom and originally employed as a True or False system but it evolved to give better results by using 1 to 7 scale. Where
1= Strongly Disagree
4= neutral
7= Strongly Agree
The BPS index’s ability to predict tendency toward boredom has been validated in numerous studies. These studies showed alpha scores for the internal consistency and the test-retest reliability at 0.83 and 0.79 respectively.
The scores are computed by adding up responses of all the questions. The score indicates the person’s propensity to get bored. A high score indicates people who get bored easily. A lower number indicates the opposite. The average score is 99 and the range of 81-117 is normal.

Boredom Proneness Scale
The statements should be answered using a 7-point format from "1" (highly disagree) to "7"(highly agree) used in recent research.
1. It is easy for me to concentrate on my activities
2. Frequently when I am working I find myself worrying about other things
3. Time always seems to be passing slowly
4. I often find myself at "loose ends", not knowing what to do
5. I am often trapped in situations where I have to do meaningless things
6. Having to look at someone's home movies or travel slides bores me tremendously.
7. I have projects in mind all the time, things to do.
8. I find it easy to entertain myself.
9. Many things I have to do are repetitive and monotonous.
10. It takes more stimulation to get me going than most people.
11. I get a kick out of most things I do.
12. I am seldom excited about my work.
13. In any situation I can usually find something to do or see to keep me interested
14. Much of the time I just sit around doing nothing.
16. I often find myself with nothing to do, time on my hands.
17. In situations where I have to wait, such as a line I get very restless.
18. I often wake up with a new idea.
19. It would be very hard for me to find a job that is exciting enough.
20. I would like more challenging things to do in life.
21. I feel that I am working below my abilities most of the time.
22. Many people would say that I am a creative or imaginative person.
23. I have so many interests, I don't have time to do everything.
24. Among my friends, I am the one who keeps doing something the longest.
25. Unless I am doing something exciting, even dangerous,I feel half-dead and dull.
26. It takes a lot of change and variety to keep really happy.
27. It seems that the same things are on television or the movies all the time; it's getting old. 28. When I was young, I was often in monotonous and tiresome situations.

* STAGE 2 : The scores of the respondents are calculated and a graph plotted to depict the data.

* STAGE 3 :
Now I will discuss my interactions with the two respondents in the following pages. This was achieved by having a discussion with the interviewees, without them knowing about my intentions. It can safely be assumed that none of the interviewees had any prior knowledge that their answers would form the basis of this academic study. Due to space constraints, only two of the respondents are analysed in detail. The generalizations detailed later however take into account other interactions as well.

RESPONDENT 1:

* History:
R1 is currently a MBA student, who has done her under graduation in the field of electrical & electronics engineering. She has no prior work experience.

* Observations:
She has diligently attended classes till now and has an independent mind-set. She enjoys all the activities she engages herself in, and likes to be with friends. R1 is open to new ideas and approachable by people. She is helpful in nature.

* Interview:
R1 likes being busy and productive, she doesn’t feel that boredom affects her. According to her boredom is a state of mind which is self-inflicted. She feels that she is able to structure her activities well and she likes to finish a job before moving onto another activity.to her word meaningless doesn’t hold any importance as she finds a purpose in all the things she does and enjoys each and every one of them. She tries to make her life interesting and says that it is in the person’s hands to do so by finding excitement in the most monotonous of tasks. For R1 standing in rows is difficult as she feels restless. She never likes to sit idle. According to her she can settle into most of the jobs as working diligently is one of the prime factors. She likes making new friends but she values independence as well and doesn’t need people around her all the time as she is quite capable of entertaining herself. She likes to build rapport with her friends which is evident by her liking of photographs of her friends. She doesn’t require any different stimulation to be involved in a project and feels that she has lived her life as she wanted to and doesn’t require risk taking activities to make it interesting. She likes to go with the flow and doesn’t especially dislike routines.

RESPONDENT 2:

* History:
R2 is currently pursuing MBA, and holds a mechanical engineering degree. He has a prior work experience of 2 years.

* Observations:
R2 seems unresponsive in most of the classes he attends. He comes late in most of the meetings of project groups. He is generally late to the class and interacts with only a limited number of people. He is difficult to approach and only speaks when spoken too i.e. he doesn’t take initiative.

* Interview:
R2 feels that most of the things that he does have similar or repetitive patterns, because of which he tires easily of most of activities. He doesn’t like to take initiatives with people and friends as demonstrated by the fact that he doesn’t like to watch photographs of his friends. R2 feels that most of the work that he does or takes part in is not rewarding enough, thereby displaying that he requires more incentives as compared to others to get the work done. He likes to sit idle and spends most of his time by himself which gives him a lot of time for self-reflection. He occupies this time by engaging in analysis of his moods, therefore according to him he is in touch with his inner self. He feels like his work is not stimulating enough so he doesn’t like taking part I project group discussions, even though he sometimes has valid ideas. In the project groups he finds the work not challenging enough. R2 feels that because he has a dull life that’s why he likes to sleep a lot more than other people. He never answers a question in classes which he attributes to lack of enthusiasm. He doesn’t get impatient while waiting in long lines. He hasn’t been able to find much difference in his work atmosphere and the vibrant college atmosphere, indicating that he has a high propensity to boredom irrespective of the environmental factors.

* STAGE 4 : GENERALIZATIONS
Based on the study conducted the sample can be divided into two groups: * Type 1: those people who have a higher propensity to get bored i.e. persons having boredom proneness score above the sample average, 112.35. * Type 2: those people who have a lower propensity to get bored i.e. persons having boredom proneness score below the sample average, 112.35.

Characteristics of people belonging to type 1:
Feeling of entrapment while doing any kind of work especially repetitive work also they feel undervalued and working below their potential.
Have a very high concentration power. * Are patient * Find most of the jobs lackadaisical and devoid of meaning. * Like to spend most of their time alone, do not take any initiative to socialize. * Obsess over their moods and internal feelings without processing them. Characteristics of people belonging to type 2: * Love to spend time and socialize with friends. They love to build relationships with new people. * They generally have low concentration power as they have many things occupying their mind at one point of time. * They are impatient and are not comfortable with the concept of waiting. * They generally find meaning even in mundane and repetitive tasks and like to work at their full potential. * They label their moods categorically, and forget about them.

IMPLICATIONS FOR GROUP BEHAVIOUR: Boredom is a dangerous foe which has a negative relationship with dynamics of the group. Doctors and Psychologists have found that people who find they are often bored are prone to: * a higher risk for depression and drug dependency * Being socially awkward * Performing poorly at work and in personal life. * Fatigue - Mental and Physical * Restlessness and an inclination to indulge in sensation seeking activities such as taking drugs and other violent and destructive behaviour * Feel that life is void of meaning and purpose Also a person who is more prone to boredom is likely to bring down the morale or the energy level of the group. This person will not be able to contribute to the group discussions as these persons do not socialize and tend to spend time with themselves, thereby devoiding the group of valuable inputs, thus boredom has serious implications for group behaviour. CONTRIBUTION TO OB: My study reaffirms the importance of boredom in the field of organization behaviour. As shown employee boredom affects all the major areas of an organization be it employee attrition rate, employee bunout or the need for counselling sessions. Nowadays organizations are highly concerned about their employee’s proneness to boredom and thereby they try to make the work environment more stimulating and to make the work meaningful and challenging so that the employees take interest in their work. Also some companies having high burnout rates are trying to work out different strategies so that the employees do not face repetitive work. Organizations are also trying to get their employees to socialize more to encourage free flow of ideas and also to encourage extravert behaviour. Boredom is also a major cause of high attrition rate which harms the organization as employee’s having experience leave the organization after a period; a major cause of this can be attributed to boredom experienced by the employee. Therefore boredom is a trait which has wide reaching consequences in the field of organizational behaviour.

CONCLUSION: Working definition: Boredom is a state of mind experienced due to either lack of activity or because individuals are uninterested in the opportunities which surround them.

From the study it can be seen that boredom is a state of mind which can be characterized by perception of one's environment as dull, tedious, and lacking in stimulation.Boredom occurs because increase of experience with any set of repeating stimuli/activity builds up our cognitive, attentional, representational apparatus for increasingly efficient filtering or buffering of the repeated stimuli, events, or activities. The buffering/filtering brought on by increasing development of cognitive structure (i.e., the development of “analytic intelligence”) typically results in our extracting less and less information/stimulation from any stimulus/activity, the consequence of which is a lowering of our “intensity of consciousness”(excitement, interest, and entertainment) to the repeated stimuli/activity. We attempt to rectify the correlative boredom experience obtaining in response to repeated stimuli/activity by engaging in activities that rectify our increasingly low intensity of consciousness, i.e., that mitigate the increasing mechanicalness or automaticity of the way we increasingly attend to our experience of the world as we gain experience with our own "attentional maps" of the world.
Concluding with an excerpt from Boredom: The Literary History of a State of Mind, 1995: ……all endeavor of every kind takes place in the context of boredom impending or boredom repudiated, and can be understood as impelled by the effort to withstand boredom’s threat. …the dynamic of promise and threat between writing and reading typifies the tension of all production and consumption. Like the reader seeking entertainment and enlightenment, the housewife yearning for a vacuum cleaner to relieve her drudgery want something to make the world new. All “cultural advance” derives from the need to withstand boredom; literature is a single instance among many. Boredom, in this theory, explains everything: a new version of the doom assigned to humankind in the original fall from grace. That it recurs insistently as literary subject only reiterates an embracing truth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: * Boredom: The Literary History of a State of Mind , by Patricia Spacks, PhD, was published in 1995 by the University of Chicago Press * Boredom Proneness: Its Relationship with Subjective Underemployment, Perceived Organizational Support, and Job Performance * John D. Watt and Michael B. Hargis * Source: Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Volume 23, Number 3, June 1981 , pp. 329-340(12) * Author: Smith, Richard P * State-Trait Boredom: Relationship to Absenteeism, Tenure, and Job Satisfaction * www.theboredomsite.com * www.boringinstitute.com * www.somareview.com