Abstract
Purpose: To explore the relation of boredom proneness to enjoyment of walking (EW), self-reported physical activity (PA; i.e., METS-walking and Total PA), and estimates of time required to walk 1, 2, 3, and 5 kms. Boredom proneness, or a tendency to lack interest and motivation, involves two main components, internal and external stimulation. Those high on internal stimulation (IS) have difficulty maintaining interest and keeping themselves entertained, while those high on external stimulation (ES) are in constant need of novel and challenging opportunities within their environment. Method: A survey was administered to 64 undergraduate students (22 males, 43 females) at the University of Alberta (M age = 23.12, SD = 5.59). Results: Significant associations were observed between IS and EW (r = .31, p < .05) and total PA (r = .25, p < .05) while a small but non-significant relationship existed with METS-walking (r = .23, p = .06). Conversely, ES was significantly associated with overestimates of time required to walk 1 (r = .33, p < .05), 2 (r = .33, p < .05) and 5 kms (r = .32, p < .05) and yielded small but non-significant relations with 3 kms (r = .22, p = .13). Conclusion: Students, who have difficulty keeping themselves entertained and interested, tend to enjoy walking and report larger amounts of PA. Those who are in constant need of entertainment from their environment tend to overestimate the amount of time it takes to walk 1, 2, and 5 kms.<%
