Cognitive and affective aspects of boredom.

It is argued that previous research may have been mistaken in assuming that monotony in sensory stimulation is a necessary and sufficient cause of boredom. Five investigations are reported which used personal construct theory and repertory grid techniques to investigate three hypotheses: that boredom is associated with subjective monotony, that boredom is associated with a high degree of frustration and that boredom arises when stimulation lacks meaning for the individual. Results supported hypotheses (1) and (2) but no evidence was found to support hypothesis (3).