Coping with boredom in school : an experience sampling perspective

Keywords: Boredom Coping Experience sampling Traits States The present study explored students' use of boredom-related coping stra tegies at trait and state levels. Two trait-based dimensions of coping relevant to boredom were considered. namely approach-versus avoidance-oriented and cognitively-versus behaviorally-oriented coping strategies. The two dimensions were assessed in a self-report questio nnaire administered to 537 grade 11 students (55.3% female. Mug. = 17.15 years). Additionally. 79 of these participants completed state-based boredom-related coping measures over a 2-week period using an experience sampling method. Analyses of the trait measures suggested that two contrasting. broad approaches characterized participants' strategies for coping with boredom. namely a cognitive-approach orientation and a behavioral-avoidance orientation. in both the trait-and state-based analyses. the cognitive-approach orientation was associated with lower levels of boredom. implications for interventions promoting the use of cognitive-approach strategies for dea ling with boredom in the classroom are discussed .