"I Am Easily Bored." Analysis of a Single Item Measure of Boredom

Abstract

Measuring a variety of human characteristics in large databases has been invaluable for applied (e.g., epidemiology) and basic research (e.g., brain imaging). The sheer volume of data being collected can place high demands on participants. This raises the challenge of how to maximize the reliability of measures while minimizing the burden on participants. We examined the viability of a single item to measure trait boredom proneness by having participants respond to the question "I am easily bored." Results indicated that this single item effectively captures relations typically observed when using longer state and trait boredom measures. Psychological network analyses suggested that the item accords well with models of trait boredom as a failure to launch. We discuss potential contexts in which deploying a single item of this kind may prove advantageous.

Keywords: Boredom; boredom proneness; depression; self-control; single item.