Towards a Model of Boredom: Investigating the Cognitive and Neural Correlates of Boredom and Inattention

无聊是一种普遍现象，影响着广泛而多样的人类活动。过去的研究表明，无聊与注意力丧失、无法保持注意力、走神和许多精神疾病有关。因此，这一经验对加拿大人有着广泛的影响。例如，考虑无聊对长途飞行的商业航空公司飞行员、课堂上的学术和行为的潜在后果，以及无聊在注意力缺陷多动障碍等疾病中所起的作用。鉴于此，令人惊讶的是，很少有研究致力于定义结构本身的独特神经和心理基础。如果不彻底了解这种体验的基本过程，就很难建立识别和衡量它的标准。因此，全面定义无聊是什么，以及它与相关状态（如走神和注意力不集中）的区别，在其他领域的研究人员开始确定什么是正常的和非典型的无聊水平以及设计有效的无聊之前，治疗和干预。本研究的目的是利用会聚神经成像和认知方法进行全面的调查与无聊的经验相关的潜在过程。我的目的是提供实验证据，以确定与无聊体验独特的神经心理学相关性。这项工作致力于为无聊状态提供一个神经心理学模型，并将为未来研究注意力，情绪和唤醒以及动机和奖励提供急需的方向。因此，这项研究不仅有望阐明与注意力不集中和无聊相关的重要过程和结构，而且还有望为广泛领域的研究人员提供基本的基础。

Boredom is a common phenomenon that impacts a broad and heterogeneous range of human activities. Past research revealed that boredom is associated with attention lapses, an inability to sustain attention, mind wandering, and numerous psychiatric disorders. Thus, the experience has broad implications for Canadians. Consider, for example, the potential consequences of boredom for commercial airline pilots on long-haul flights, academics and behaviour in the classroom, and the role boredom plays in disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Given this, it is surprising how little research has been devoted to defining the distinct neural and psychological underpinnings of the construct itself. Without a thorough understanding of the basic processes that underlie the experience, it is difficult to establish criteria to identify and measure it. Thus, a comprehensive definition of what boredom is and how it is different from related states, such as mind wandering and inattention, is a necessary first step before researchers in other fields can begin to determine what constitutes normal and atypical levels of boredom and design effective treatments and interventions. The present research is designed to draw upon convergent neuroimaging and cognitive methods to carry out a comprehensive investigation of the underlying processes associated with the experience of boredom. My purpose is to provide experimental evidence that will identify neuropsychological correlates unique to the experience of boredom. This work endeavours to provide a neuropsychological model for the state of boredom and will provide much needed direction for future research investigating attention, emotion and arousal, as well as motivation and reward. Thus, this research not only promises to elucidate important processes and structures related to inattention and boredom, but it also promises to provide a basic foundation for researchers in a wide range of fields.