Precursors to Boredom: Sinking Motivation and Achievement

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Motivation

Abstract

Although literature has shown the adverse impact of boredom on learning, the question of how precursors to boredom are related to levels of boredom, motivation and achievement remains unexplored. In the first study we investigated the validity of the English Precursor to Boredom Scales (E-PBS) in a sample of Canadian college students. In the second study we evaluated the impact of E-PBS on students’ motivation and achievement. Findings showed that the factor structure and item loadings of the E-PBS were comparable with those published on German samples. Our results also found a deleterious impact of a lack of involvement in learning, opportunity costs to attend class and generalized boredom on learning. Practical implications were also discussed.

Authors

• Virginia Man Chung Tze, University of Alberta

• Lia Marie Daniels, University of Alberta