Boredom and affective temperaments as factors hindering smoking cessation: An exploration within an Italian sample.

Levels of Depression and Anxiety, Sexual Functions, and Affective Temperaments in Women With Lifelong Vaginismus and Their Male Partners

Boredom proneness is commonly assessed and measured using self-report scales and questionnaires. The only full-scale measure of boredom that has been extensively used to assess boredom proneness is the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) (Farmer and Sundberg, 1986). BPS takes boredom proneness to be the tendency to experience boredom in a wide range of situations (Farmer and Sundberg, 1986). Although there is a close semantic relationship between the terms “tendency” and “disposition,” boredom proneness should not be understood as a dispositional state or property. A subject can possess the disposition to Φ even if the subject never actually Φ s. For that reason, I wish to suggest that one is prone to boredom not only if one possesses characteristics that make one susceptible to being bored, but also if one frequently experiences boredom1. Unlike a disposition that can remain hidden or non-actualized, boredom proneness, I hold, has visible and significant for the subject manifestations. Indeed, the frequent experience of boredom forms something akin to a pervasive lens through which the world is filtered. The boredom prone individual often and easily finds herself to be bored, even in situations that others, typically, find interesting and stimulating. Furthermore, she regularly becomes incapable of maintaining sustained attention, and interest in one's activities (Damrad-Frye and Laird, 1989; Eastwood et al., 2012; Malkovsky et al., 2012), she lacks excitement for, or can find no purpose in, what she is doing (Barbalet, 1999; Fahlman et al., 2009; van Tilburg and Igou, 2012), and she easily becomes frustrated, restless, or weary by either stimuli-poor or challenging situations (Farmer and Sundberg, 1986). Boredom proneness is associated with a plethora of significant bodily, psychological, and social harms (Vodanovich, 2003). Boredom proneness is positively correlated with depression and anxiety (Ahmed, 1990; Blaszczynski et al., 1990; Sommers and Vodanovich, 2000; Goldberg et al., 2011; LePera, 2011), anger and aggression (Gordon et al., 1997; Rupp and Vodanovich, 1997; Dahlen et al., 2004), a lower tendency to engage in and enjoy thinking (Watt and Blanchard, 1994; Seib and Vodanovich, 1998), a propensity to make mistakes in completing common tasks (Wallace et al., 2002), poor interpersonal and social relationships (Leong and Schneller, 1993; Watt and Vodanovich, 1999), lower job and life satisfaction (Farmer and Sundberg, 1986; Kass et al., 2001), problem gambling (Blaszczynski et al., 1990; Mercer and Eastwood, 2010), and drug and alcohol abuse (Lee et al., 2007; LePera, 2011).

Affective temperaments and eating psychopathology in anorexia nervosa: Which role for anxious and depressive traits?

Purpose Mood disorders frequently coexist with borderline personality pathology (BPP), presenting considerable clinical challenges. Affective temperaments (AT) play a role in modulating mood disorders and influence the manifestation of illness. BPP and AT share common characteristics, such as emotional instability, impulsivity, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. However, research on the relationship between BPP and AT remains limited. This study employed network analysis to explore the network structure between BPP and AT in a cohort of patients with mood disorders. Materials and methods A total of 720 patients with mood disorders (major depressive disorder, n = 267; bipolar affective disorder, n = 453) were included in the analysis. The Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline Features Scale (PAI-BOR) and the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Auto questionnaire short version (TEMPS-A) were utilized. Network analysis was conducted to identify central symptoms and network structures across the five AT dimensions and 24 BPP items. Results The BPP and TEMPS-A items were intricately interwoven, with no distinct groupings. The most significant symptoms identified were “Mood shifts” and “Cyclothymic temperament.” Additionally, irritable temperament was strongly linked to "Little control over anger," while anxious temperament was closely associated with "Worry about people leaving.” Conclusion The overlap of BPP and AT in the network, without a clear separation, suggests a significant interconnection between these clinical concepts. The centrality of “Mood shifts” and “Cyclothymic temperament” in this network underscores the importance of targeting these symptoms in the treatment of patients with prominent BPP and AT.

This study investigated the factor structure of the Boredom Proneness (BP) Scale. Previous research on boredom indicates the existence of at least five factors that comprise this construct. Data from 385 participants on the BP scale items were analyzed through a principal components factor analysis with a varimax rotation in which five factors were requested. The results supported the hypothesis that boredom proneness, and therefore the BP scale, consists of at least five factors that are conceptually similar to those discussed in the literature. The findings are discussed in terms of how they provide a more precise measurement of the construct, and how this may have implications for counseling, education, and industry.

Affective temperaments are the subclinical manifestations or phenotypes of mood states and hypothetically represent one healthy end of the mood disorder spectrum. However, there is a scarcity of studies investigating the neurobiological basis of affective temperaments. One fundamental aspect of temperament is the behavioral reactivity to environmental stimuli, which can be effectively evaluated by use of cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) reflecting the diversity of information processing. The aim of the present study is to explore the associations between P300 and the affective temperamental traits in healthy individuals. We recorded the P300 ERP waves using an auditory oddball paradigm in 50 medical student volunteers (23 females, 27 males). Participants' affective temperaments were evaluated using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-auto questionnaire version (TEMPS-A). In bivariate analyses, depressive temperament score was significantly correlated with P300 latency ( rs = 0.37, P < .01). In a multiple linear regression analysis, P300 latency showed a significant positive correlation with scores of depressive temperament (β = 0.40, P < .01) and a significant negative one with scores of cyclothymic temperament (β = -0.29, P = .03). Affective temperament scores were not associated with P300 amplitude and reaction times. These results indicate that affective temperaments are related to information processing in the brain. Depressive temperament may be characterized by decreased physiological arousal and slower information processing, while the opposite was observed for cyclothymic temperament.

Affective temperaments and functional disability modulate depressive symptoms in adulthood

Aim: There are many studies on the mood disorders that occur during pregnancy, but no studies that question how affective temperaments, which are the antecedents of the mood disorders, are influenced by pregnancy. This study aims to examine the affective temperaments in women without any psychiatric diagnoses during the pregnancy period.Method: The study included 100 pregnant women at the third trimester of their pregnancy (pregnant group) and 75 non-pregnant women (control group). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Axis-I Disorders (SCID-I) was used for the evaluation of psychiatric disorders; Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) was used for the evaluation of affective temperaments.Results: The cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperament scores of the pregnant women were significantly lower than that of the non-pregnant women (p < 0.05). Pregnancy predicted lower scores of cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments. Younger age and lower levels of education were predictors of higher cyclothymic, anxious and depressive temperament scores. Younger age also predicted higher irritable temperament scores.Conclusion: The third trimester of pregnancy is associated with significantly lower affective temperament. Future studies may help to understand the biological background of the present findings.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and problematic internet use in adolescents, with boredom proneness as a mediating variable. Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational design was employed, involving 450 Brazilian adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, selected using multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected through the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale – Version 11 (BIS-11), the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS), and Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation to examine bivariate associations, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation in AMOS 21 to test the hypothesized mediation model. Model fit was assessed using χ², χ²/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, RMSEA, and TLI indices. Findings: Pearson correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between impulsivity and boredom proneness (r = .48, p &lt; .001), impulsivity and problematic internet use (r = .42, p &lt; .001), and boredom proneness and problematic internet use (r = .53, p &lt; .001). The SEM analysis indicated a good model fit (χ²/df = 2.04, GFI = 0.95, AGFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.048, TLI = 0.96). Impulsivity significantly predicted boredom proneness (β = 0.48, p &lt; .001) and problematic internet use both directly (β = 0.22, p &lt; .001) and indirectly through boredom proneness (β = 0.22, p &lt; .001), with the total effect being substantial (β = 0.44, p &lt; .001). These findings confirm partial mediation, indicating that boredom proneness explains a significant portion of the link between impulsivity and problematic internet use. Conclusion: The results highlight boredom proneness as a key mechanism linking impulsivity to problematic internet use among adolescents. Interventions aiming to reduce excessive internet use in this population should address both impulsive tendencies and the ability to tolerate boredom, fostering adaptive coping strategies in low-stimulation contexts.

PurposeCOVID-19 has had a huge impact on the physical behavior and mental health of people. Long-term and strict isolation policies are widely used to ensure social distancing, which may cause excessive smartphone use and increase the risk of smartphone addiction. Previous researchers have identified that some factors that affect smartphone addiction, but there was little research conducted during COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to examine the effect of peer phubbing on smartphone addiction, how boredom proneness may mediate this effect, and lastly how refusal self-efficacy may moderate the indirect and direct pathways during COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 1396 college students (mean age=20.48, SD=1.08) were surveyed and completed four scales (Peer Phubbing Scale, Refusal Self-efficacy Scale, Smartphone Addiction Index Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale). The statistical analyses were conducted by SPSS 22.0 and SPSS PROCESS macro.ResultsThis study found that peer phubbing was positively associated with smartphone addiction. Boredom proneness mediated the effect of peer phubbing and smartphone addiction. Furthermore, refusal self-efficacy moderated the relationship between peer phubbing and smartphone addiction as well as boredom proneness and smartphone addiction. Specifically, peer phubbing had a greater impact on smartphone addiction for college students with higher levels of refusal self-efficacy, and the boredom proneness on smartphone addiction was stronger for college students with low levels of refusal self-efficacy.ConclusionThis study is important in investigating how peer phubbing is related to the smartphone addiction of Chinese college students during COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that college students’ boredom proneness and refusal self-efficacy may be prime targets for prevention and intervention programs. Thus, this study explored “how” and “when” peer phubbing may enhance college students’ smartphone addiction during COVID-19 pandemic.

Boredom has been reported as a common experience for service users of acute psychiatric wards. It has been associated with negative mental and physical health. Research has yet to show what factors are associated with boredom proneness within the acute psychiatric population. (1) To investigate the distribution of boredom proneness in a population of mentally ill inpatients according to age, gender, diagnosis, Mental Health Act status and length of stay in hospital. (2) To test the hypothesis that boredom proneness is negatively correlated with autonomous activity levels. Two self-report questionnaires were used with 55 inpatients of acute psychiatric wards: the Boredom Proneness Scale (Farmer & Sundberg, 1986) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983). Questions were also asked about individuals' activity engagement during their current admission. Data on age, gender, diagnosis, ethnicity, Mental Health Act status and length of stay were collected from case notes. The highest incidence of boredom proneness was in participants with depression. Those detained under the Mental Health Act appeared less boredom prone than those admitted voluntarily. Boredom proneness was not associated with age, gender or length of stay. There was an association between engagement in more autonomous activities and lower boredom proneness.

Affective temperaments in subjects with female-to-male gender dysphoria

Previous research has suggested that certain types of the affective temperament, including depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable, and anxious, are subclinical manifestations and precursors of mental disorders. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie these temperaments are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to identify the brain regions associated with different affective temperaments. We collected the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 211 healthy adults and evaluated their affective temperaments using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire. We used intersubject representational similarity analysis to identify brain regions associated with each affective temperament. Brain regions associated with each affective temperament were detected. These regions included the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), precuneus, amygdala, thalami, hippocampus, and visual areas. The ACC, lingual gyri, and precuneus showed similar activity across several affective temperaments. The similarity in related brain regions was high among the cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious temperaments, and low between hyperthymic and the other affective temperaments. These findings may advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying affective temperaments and their potential relationship to mental disorders and may have potential implications for personalized treatment strategies for mood disorders.

Covariation between Childhood-Trauma Related Resting-State Functional Connectivity and Affective Temperaments is Impaired in Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder

Predictive value of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 as biomarkers of affective temperaments in healthy young adults