Causes of boredom: The person, the situation, or both?

• Person-based, situation-based, and interactive causal models of state boredom were evaluated.
• Trait boredom (person) and experimental condition (situation) independently predicted state boredom.
• BIS (person) and experimental condition in interaction predicted state boredom.
• Thus, a boring situation is not required for the boredom prone individual to feel bored.
• There may be two kinds of trait boredom: person-based and person-by-situation-based.

Some theories emphasize the role of the situation, some emphasize the role of the person, and some emphasize the interaction between situation and person in causing boredom. The present study examines these models by determining whether boredom propensity (person) and/or experimental condition (situation) independently or in interaction affected state boredom. The study also examined the relative contribution of behavioural activation and inhibition to state boredom. Boredom propensity and condition significantly and independently predicted state boredom, as did the interaction between behavioural inhibition and condition. Implications are discussed, including the possibility of two distinct causes of boredom.