Boredom

Abstract

This chapter examines boredom – an emotion often described as one of the plagues of modern society. Boredom is rather often experienced in educational settings. We first explain how boredom is defined and operationalized taking into account the different types of boredom which are considered nowadays. We further review how boredom has been assessed. Empirical evidence on the prevalence of boredom is outlined. Theoretical considerations and empirical findings are subsequently addressed concerning the effects and causes of academic boredom. We also examine conceptual frameworks and findings on how to most effectively cope with boredom in educational settings. Finally, we discuss the implications that follow from the prevention and reduction of boredom in the classroom based on some empirical literature reviews.