WHEN TIME FLIES: STATE AND TRAIT BOREDOM, TIME PERCEPTION, AND HEDONIC TASK APPRAISALS

Authors

  • Emily R. Weiss Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2194-2091 (unauthenticated)
  • McWelling Todman Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1295-654X (unauthenticated)
  • Özge Pazar Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
  • Sophia Mullens Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
  • Kristin Maurer Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
  • Alexandra C. Romano Department of Clinical Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37708/psyct.v14i1.559

Keywords:

Boredom, boredom proneness, time perception, timing, temporality, attributions

Abstract

An abundance of empirical research has established that a robust, positive association exists between feelings of boredom and the illusion of temporal slowing. Although state and trait forms of boredom are distinct constructs, the way these variables interact with one another to impact time perception is unknown. To further explore the association between boredom and time perception, a modified replication of a study that examined the impact of discrepancies between expected and perceived time progression on hedonic appraisals was conducted. The paradigm was extended through the inclusion of validated measures of trait and recent state boredom. Seventy-two participants (N = 72, aged 18-52, M = 23.06, SD = 5.73) were led to believe that they would perform an intrinsically unengaging task for 5 (Time Drags), 10 (Real Time), or 15 minutes (Time Flies). Consistent with previous findings, participants in the Time Drags condition reported time as progressing significantly slower than participants in the other two conditions. Moreover, participants in the Time Drags condition rated the task as significantly more aversive than did participants in the Time Flies condition. This association remained significant even when controlling for levels of trait and recent state boredom. However, the Real Time and Time Flies conditions did not differ from one another in terms of task ratings or perceived time progression. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Author Biographies

  • Emily R. Weiss, Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
    Emily R. Weiss is a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at The New School for Social Research (NSSR), where she is a Research Assistant for the Psychopathology Lab of McWelling Todman. Emily is a recipient of the 2020 Psi Chi Eastern Psychological Association Regional Research Award for her work on boredom and time perception. Emily currently holds a Teaching Fellowship at Eugene Lang College and is completing a clinical placement in neuropsychology at Nuvance Health.
  • McWelling Todman, Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
    McWelling Todman is a Professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research (NSSR), and the Director of the Concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Dr. Todman is the former Chair of the Psychology Department at NSSR, and a former Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology at Eugene Lang College. Prior to coming to the NSSR, Dr. Todman was the Executive Director of the Columbia University CSS programs at the Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. 
  • Özge Pazar, Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
    Özge Pazar has worked in various research labs, prominently on psychotherapy process, cognitive development, and psychopathology studies, after earning their B.A. in Psychology. They graduated from the New School for Social Research (NSSR) with an M.A. in psychology. Özge is currently working towards their Ph.D. degree in Clinical Psychology at the NSSR and is a recipient of the NSSR Dean's Fellowship Award.
  • Sophia Mullens, Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
    Sophia Mullens recently completed her Master of Arts and is currently a doctoral student at The New School for Social Research, working as a Research Assistant in the Psychopathology Lab of McWelling Todman and in The SexTech Lab. She is also currently an extern at Zucker Hillside Hospital. 
  • Kristin Maurer, Department of Clinical Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY.
    Kristin Maurer is a clinician specializing in the treatment of individuals with Intellectual Disability and Autism. She holds a M.A. in Psychology from The New School for Social Research and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Holy Family University. She has conducted research on boredom and its relationship to bodily-focused repetitive behaviors. 
  • Alexandra C. Romano, Department of Clinical Psychology, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY.
    Alexandra Romano is a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at Long Island University, Brooklyn and an instructor at Borough of Manhattan Community College. She holds an M.A. in Psychology from The New School for Social Research and an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has conducted research on boredom, schizophrenia, infant attention, and neuropharmaceuticals. Her current research is on the effects of sleep on suicidality.

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

2021-04-30

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2021)

Section

Research Articles

License

Authors who publish with Psychological Thought (PSYCT) agree to the following terms:

Creative Commons License

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Under the CC BY license, authors retain ownership of the copyright for their article, but authors grant others permission to use the content of publications in PSYCT in whole or in part provided that the original work is properly cited. Users (redistributors) of PSYCT are required to cite the original source, including the author's names, PSYCT as the initial source of publication, year of publication, volume number and DOI (if available).

Authors may publish the manuscript in any other journal or medium but any such subsequent publication must include a notice that the manuscript was initially published by PSYCT.

Authors grant PSYCT the right of first publication. Although authors remain the copyright owner, they grant the journal the irrevocable, nonexclusive rights to publish, reproduce, publicly distribute and display, and transmit their article or portions thereof in any manner.