Leave Me Alone Mum, I?m Bored...And It?s Good For Me!

An Edge Hill academic has embarked on a piece of research that may be the last thing mums and dads want to hear as the Easter holidays loom large.

Boredom is a good thing, and kids should be allowed to sulk and complain because it's healthy for them! Dr Richard Ralley, a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the university, says that when his research is complete, it may revolutionise the way we view boredom, and affect what we do when it sets in.

Dr Ralley?s research is based on an assumption that boredom is an emotion and, similar to anger, fear and jealousy, it serves a purpose. The question is: what is that purpose? It may well be energy conservation, and the brain?s way of telling the body that it should take a rest, or that the task it is performing is not worthwhile.

Previous research from around the world has indicated that business people who take time off to relax during the day actually perform better than those who are chained to their desk for twelve hours at a time. Likewise, being bored at work can serve as a motivator to develop professionally and search out more challenging projects or roles.

The research also aims to discover that understanding boredom is the key to a successful workforce - and a peaceful school holiday period. Dr Ralley believes that boredom may be a sign that we need social interaction, which would explain why it is rarely negated by mundane tasks such as cleaning and ironing. In the classroom, boredom may be a sign that children need to be engaged in a more effective way.

Speaking as he begins his research, Dr Ralley comments: "Boredom is taken for granted as something that just happens, but as it produces an emotion, there must be a purpose for it. As we approach the Easter holidays, parents across the country will be desperately trying to keep their children occupied for two weeks so they don?t get bored, whereas actually, it may be better to leave them to their own devices and let them recover from the last term at school.

"If that means children want to sleep until 1pm every day and then lie on the sofa watching football all evening, then that may be more beneficial for them than having a timetable of activities drawn up to keep them occupied."

Dr Ralley continues: "Similar to adults, it is important for children to get enough rest, as this is the time when our brains and bodies recover energy, leaving us fresh for the daily challenges we face. However, the body resting can be mistaken for boredom and listlessness and, rather than making the most of it and relaxing, we often try to counter it by doing more energetic activities.

"My research aims to get to the bottom of why we get bored because once this is understood, it is much easier to harness boredom in a positive way. Who knows, I may even discover that boredom at home is the body?s way of telling children that they are looking forward to going back to school!"

The conclusions of Dr Ralley?s research will have implications for a whole host of people and he is looking for various insights as part of the process. Business executives, teachers or even parents and children can offer their views on boredom by e-mailing Dr Ralley at ralleyr@edgehill.ac.uk