Boredom as a protection against death anxiety - a terror management approach

Iva Rajović (2018) Boredom as a protection against death anxiety - a terror management approach. MSc thesis.

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Abstract

In the works of philosophy and literature, boredom has often been brought in relation to death, either as something that leads to death or that represents death per se. However, this idea remained relatively neglected by scientific inquiry. Research done within the framework of Terror Management Theory has demonstrated that various aspects of human behaviour are driven by an ever-present potential for intense anxiety that stems from the awareness of one’s own mortality. Characteristics of boredom that result from unsuccessfully engaged attention manifest as time-awareness, self-awareness, and sense of meaninglessness are assumingly the main features of mortality salient states. Objective of the thesis is to examine the relation between mentioned manifestations. Based on the conceptual analysis and the analysis of the empirical literature, it will be argued that time-awareness, self-awareness, and sense of meaninglessness which are characteristic, yet not sufficient for the experience of boredom are inhibited by the inherent component of boredom - an urgent need to escape current situation. As a result, a state of engaged attention is re-established and the emergence of mortality salient states which create a potential for an acute death anxiety is prevented. As many psychopathologies stem from our inability to face death, research of the relation between boredom and death anxiety could have important theoretical and applied implications. An explanatory model of boredom as a function of terror management mechanism is proposed. Direction for future research are suggested.

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