Fifth Type of Boredom Identified by Researchers

A new type of boredom also known as apathetic boredom has recently been explained in the journal Motivation and Emotion.

This fifth type of boredom is characterized by feelings of helplessness and lethargy that are very much similar to depression and is said to be found at the bottom of the barrel. Researchers from the University of Konstanz in Germany and McGill University in Canada explained that some forms of boredom are motivating while others are non-achievement-oriented. The first type of boredom is Indifferent Boredom. It is described as a state of withdrawal and is characterized by late-night Internet surfing and carbo-loading on snacks. Calibrating boredom, the second type, on the other hand is characterized by dreaminess and is normally followed by a willingness to change. Researchers call this boredom "slightly unpleasant emotional state." 

Searching boredom is when people feel restless and emotionally itchy. These people normally experience the find ways to dig out of that rut. Reactant boredom is when people blow their cool and run screaming from whatever tedious thing is occupying their mind. People who experience this type of boredom can't take certain situations so they need to find ways to escape from it. Finally, apathetic boredom is when people can't stand their current situations but can't find the urge or the drive to change it. This is characterized by undiluted monotony and helplessness. The team of researchers proposed that better strategies may be developed to improve the performances of students, workers and other people suffering from boredom if they are able to identify which type exactly they are experiencing. 

Study author Dr. Thomas Goetz said: "Experiencing specific boredom types might, to some degree, be due to personality-specific dispositions. The results shed a new light on discussions about whether boredom has positive or negative effects on learning and achievement. This question can only be adequately answered if we know what type of boredom a student experiences."