Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries

Erin C Westgate; Nicholas R Buttrick; Yijun Lin; Gaelle El Helou; Maximilian Agostini; Jocelyn J Bélanger; Ben Gützkow; Jannis Kreienkamp; Georgios Abakoumkin; Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom; Vjollca Ahmedi; Handan Akkas; Carlos A Almenara; Mohsin Atta; Sabahat Cigdem Bagci; Sima Basel; Edona Berisha Kida; Allan B I Bernardo; Phatthanakit Chobthamkit; Hoon-Seok Choi; Mioara Cristea; Sára Csaba; Kaja Damnjanovic; Ivan Danyliuk; Arobindu Dash; Daniela Di Santo; Karen M Douglas; Violeta Enea; Daiane Gracieli Faller; Gavan Fitzsimons; Alexandra Gheorghiu; Ángel Gómez; Ali Hamaidia; Qing Han; Mai Helmy; Joevarian Hudiyana; Bertus F Jeronimus; Ding-Yu Jiang; Veljko Jovanović; Željka Kamenov; Anna Kende; Shian-Ling Keng; Tra Thi Thanh Kieu; Yasin Koc; Kamila Kovyazina; Inna Kozytska; Joshua Krause; Arie W Kruglanski; Anton Kurapov; Maja Kutlaca; Nóra Anna Lantos; Edward P Lemay; Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana; Winnifred R Louis; Adrian Lueders; Marta Maj; Najma Iqbal Malik; Anton Martinez; Kira O McCabe; Jasmina Mehulić; Mirra Noor Milla; Idris Mohammed; Erica Molinario; Manuel Moyano; Hayat Muhammad; Silvana Mula; Hamdi Muluk; Solomiia Myroniuk; Reza Najafi; Claudia F Nisa; Boglárka Nyúl; Paul A O'Keefe; Jose Javier Olivas Osuna; Evgeny N Osin; Joonha Park; Gennaro Pica; Antonio Pierro; Jonas Rees; Anne Margit Reitsema; Elena Resta; Marika Rullo; Michelle K Ryan; Adil Samekin; Pekka Santtila; Edyta Sasin; Birga M Schumpe; Heyla A Selim; Michael Vicente Stanton; Wolfgang Stroebe; Robbie M Sutton; Eleftheria Tseliou; Akira Utsugi; Jolien Anne van Breen; Caspar J Van Lissa; Kees Van Veen; Michelle R vanDellen; Alexandra Vázquez; Robin Wollast; Et Al

doi:10.1037/emo0001118

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Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries

Erin C Westgate, Nicholas R Buttrick, Yijun Lin, Gaelle El Helou, Maximilian Agostini, Jocelyn J Bélanger, Ben Gützkow, Jannis Kreienkamp, Georgios Abakoumkin, Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom, …

Emotion (Washington, D.C.), Vol.23(8)

03-13-2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001118

PMID: 36913277

Abstract

emotion

self-regulation

public health

Simpson's paradox

COVID-19

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; = 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).

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Title: Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries
Creators: Erin C Westgate - Department of Psychology.
Nicholas R Buttrick - Department of Psychology.
Yijun Lin - Department of Psychology.
Gaelle El Helou - Department of Psychology.
Maximilian Agostini - Department of Psychology.
Jocelyn J Bélanger - Department of Psychology.
Ben Gützkow - Department of Psychology.
Jannis Kreienkamp - Department of Psychology.
Georgios Abakoumkin - Laboratory of Psychology.
Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom - Department of Psychology
Vjollca Ahmedi - Department of Pedagogy.
Handan Akkas - Department of Organizational Behavior.
Carlos A Almenara - Faculty (United Kingdom)
Mohsin Atta - Department of Psychology.
Sabahat Cigdem Bagci - Department of Psychology.
Sima Basel - Department of Social Sciences
Edona Berisha Kida - Faculty (United Kingdom)
Allan B I Bernardo - Department of Psychology.
Phatthanakit Chobthamkit - Department of Psychology.
Hoon-Seok Choi - Department of Psychology.
Mioara Cristea - Department of Psychology.
Sára Csaba - Doctoral School of Psychology.
Kaja Damnjanovic - Department of Psychology.
Ivan Danyliuk - Department of Psychology.
Arobindu Dash - Institute of Management and Organization.
Daniela Di Santo - Department of Social and Developmental Psychology.
Karen M Douglas - School of Psychology.
Violeta Enea - Department of Psychology.
Daiane Gracieli Faller - Sea Level Research (United Kingdom)
Gavan Fitzsimons - Department of Marketing and Psychology.
Alexandra Gheorghiu - Center for European Studies.
Ángel Gómez - Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Ali Hamaidia - Psychology/Research Unit Human Resources Development.
Qing Han - School of Psychological Science.
Mai Helmy - Department of Psychology.
Joevarian Hudiyana - Department of Psychology.
Bertus F Jeronimus - Department of Psychology.
Ding-Yu Jiang - Department of Psychology.
Veljko Jovanović - Department of Psychology.
Željka Kamenov - Faculty (United Kingdom)
Anna Kende - Department of Social Psychology.
Shian-Ling Keng - Division of Social Science.
Tra Thi Thanh Kieu - Department of Psychology.
Yasin Koc - Department of Psychology.
Kamila Kovyazina
Inna Kozytska - Department of Psychology.
Joshua Krause - Department of Psychology.
Arie W Kruglanski - Department of Psychology.
Anton Kurapov - Department of Psychology.
Maja Kutlaca - Department of Psychology.
Nóra Anna Lantos - Department of Social Psychology.
Edward P Lemay - Department of Psychology.
Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana - Department of Psychiatry.
Winnifred R Louis - School of Psychology.
Adrian Lueders - Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive
Marta Maj - Institute of Psychology
Najma Iqbal Malik - Department of Psychology.
Anton Martinez - Department of Psychology.
Kira O McCabe - Department of Psychology and Human Development.
Jasmina Mehulić - Faculty (United Kingdom)
Mirra Noor Milla - Department of Psychology.
Idris Mohammed - Usmanu Danfodiyo University
Erica Molinario - Department of Psychology.
Manuel Moyano - Department of Psychology.
Hayat Muhammad - Department of Psychology.
Silvana Mula - Dipartimento dei Processi di Sviluppo e Socializzazione.
Hamdi Muluk - Department of Psychology.
Solomiia Myroniuk - Department of Psychology.
Reza Najafi - Department of Psychology.
Claudia F Nisa - Department of Psychology.
Boglárka Nyúl - Department of Social Psychology.
Paul A O'Keefe - Division of Social Science.
Jose Javier Olivas Osuna - Department of Political Science and Administration
Evgeny N Osin - Department of Psychology.
Joonha Park - St Petersburg University
Gennaro Pica - School of Law.
Antonio Pierro - Department of Social and Developmental Psychology.
Jonas Rees - Research Institute Social Cohesion.
Anne Margit Reitsema - Department of Developmental Psychology.
Elena Resta - Dipartimento dei Processi di Sviluppo e Socializzazione.
Marika Rullo - Department of Educational, Humanities and Intercultural Communication.
Michelle K Ryan - Department of Psychology.
Adil Samekin - Department of Psychology of Religion and Pedagogy.
Pekka Santtila - Department of Psychology.
Edyta Sasin - Department of Psychology.
Birga M Schumpe - Faculty (United Kingdom)
Heyla A Selim - Department of Psychology.
Michael Vicente Stanton - California State University, East Bay
Wolfgang Stroebe - Department of Psychology.
Robbie M Sutton - School of Psychology.
Eleftheria Tseliou - Laboratory of Psychology.
Akira Utsugi - Graduate School of Humanities.
Jolien Anne van Breen - Institute of Security and Global Affairs.
Caspar J Van Lissa - Department of Methodology & Statistics.
Kees Van Veen - University Medical Center Groningen
Michelle R vanDellen - Department of Psychology.
Alexandra Vázquez - Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Robin Wollast - Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive
Et Al
Publication Details: Emotion (Washington, D.C.), Vol.23(8)
Publisher: AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC; WASHINGTON
Number of pages: 15
Grant note: New York University Abu Dhabi University of Groningen Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Identifiers: 99383895029906570
Academic Unit: Department of Psychology
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Pandemic boredom: Little evidence that lockdown-related boredom affects risky public health behaviors across 116 countries

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