Boredom and the cognitive-aversive tradeoff: dissociating persistence from effort selection

Abstract

This study tests whether boredom, particularly in individuals who are high in trait boredom, reduces cognitive-aversive tradeoff. Cognitive-aversive tradeoff reflects a type of cognitive effort avoidance where individuals weigh mental effort costs against potential rewards, often opting for easier tasks to minimize aversive exertion. While cognitive-aversive tradeoffs are well-studied, limited research examines how boredom, a state that drives engagement, affects effort-based choices. The study hypothesised that individuals high in trait boredom (measured by the Boredom Proneness Scale), when induced with state boredom, would not show the typical cognitive-aversive tradeoff. The hypothesis was grounded in the literature that suggested boredom motivates stimulation-seeking (e.g., risky behaviours), so the authors predicted it might override the usual effort aversion. To test this hypothesis, thirty-five participants underwent 5 vs. 20-minute boredom inductions before selecting puzzle tasks of varying difficulty. The results showed that while boredom induction did not have an effect on the choice of task, participants in the high boredom condition (20 minutes of induction) spent a significantly longer amount of time on the puzzle. Moreover, high boredom-prone individuals exhibited marginally longer persistence on the task but no significant shift in effort preference, suggesting boredom enhances persistence without overriding cognitive cost aversion, highlighting distinct motivational pathways for persistence and effort selection.