Citation

Westgate EC, Buttrick NR, Lin Y, El Helou G, Agostini M, Bélanger JJ, Gützkow B, Kreienkamp J, Abakoumkin G, Abdul Khaiyom JH, Ahmedi V, Akkas H, Almenara CA, Atta M, Bagci SC, Basel S, Berisha Kida E, Bernardo ABI, Chobthamkit P, Choi HS, Cristea M, Csaba S, Damnjanovic K, Danyliuk I, Dash A, Di Santo D, Douglas KM, Enea V, Faller DG, Fitzsimons G, Gheorghiu A, Gómez, Hamaidia A, Han Q, Helmy M, Hudiyana J, Jeronimus BF, Jiang DY, Jovanović V, Kamenov, Kende A, Keng SL, Kieu TTT, Koc Y, Kovyazina K, Kozytska I, Krause J, Kruglanski AW, Kurapov A, Kutlaca M, Lantos NA, Lemay EP, Lesmana CBJ, Louis WR, Lueders A, Maj M, Malik NI, Martinez A, McCabe KO, Mehulić J, Milla MN, Mohammed I, Molinario E, Moyano M, Muhammad H, Mula S, Muluk H, Myroniuk S, Najafi R, Nisa CF, Nyúl B, O'Keefe PA, Olivas Osuna JJ, Osin EN, Park J, Pica G, Pierro A, Rees J, Reitsema AM, Resta E, Rullo M, Ryan MK, Samekin A, Santtila P, Sasin E, Schumpe BM, Selim HA, Stanton MV, Stroebe W, Sutton RM, Tseliou E, Utsugi A, van Breen JA, Van Lissa CJ, Van Veen K, vanDellen MR, Vázquez A, Wollast R, Al E. Emotion 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/emo0001118

PMID

36913277

Abstract

Some public officials have expressed concern that policies mandating collective public health behaviors (e.g., national/regional "lockdown") may result in behavioral fatigue that ultimately renders such policies ineffective. Boredom, specifically, has been singled out as one potential risk factor for noncompliance. We examined whether there was empirical evidence to support this concern during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large cross-national sample of 63,336 community respondents from 116 countries. Although boredom was higher in countries with more COVID-19 cases and in countries that instituted more stringent lockdowns, such boredom did not predict longitudinal within-person decreases in social distancing behavior (or vice versa; n = 8,031) in early spring and summer of 2020. Overall, we found little evidence that changes in boredom predict individual public health behaviors (handwashing, staying home, self-quarantining, and avoiding crowds) over time, or that such behaviors had any reliable longitudinal effects on boredom itself. In summary, contrary to concerns, we found little evidence that boredom posed a public health risk during lockdown and quarantine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en