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

The contributions of private self-consciousness and absorption in explainin g boredom proneness were investigated. University students enrolled at a pu blic university in the southeastern United States completed a packet contai ning the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS; R. Farmer & N. D. Sundberg, 1986), t he Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS; A. Fenigstein, M. E Scheier, & A. H. Buss , 1975), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS; A. Tellegen & G. Atkinson, 197 4), the Need for Cognition Scale (NCS; J. T Cacioppo, R. E. Petty, & C. F. Kao, 1984), and a demographic questionnaire. Scores on the Boredom Pronenes s subscale, Internal Stimulation, which indicates the difficulty in keeping oneself interested and entertained, were significantly lower for individua ls high in absorption (a measure of attention). Individuals high in positiv e 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 pronen ess scores. Implications of these findings for the treatment of boredom pro neness and future research are discussed.