Boredom and Arousal: Comparison of Tasks Differing in Visual Complexity

Abstract

This experiment was designed to examine the relationship of boredom to arousal. 32 male subjects participated, with 16 subjects performing a low-visual-complexity task and the remainder performing a task high in visual complexity. Both physiological and subjective measures were obtained. Responses to subjective questionnaires showed significant increases in boredom for both groups. Physiological measures indicated a mixed pattern of change. These results suggest a complex response pattern for the construct of boredom which cannot be described as clearly showing either increasing or decreasing arousal.