Boredom Proneness Scale Test - Free Online Assessment
Boredom is a universal experience, but some people feel bored far more often than others. This 8-item test, based on the short form of the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS-SR), measures your tendency to experience boredom across situations.
About the Boredom Proneness Scale
The Boredom Proneness Scale (Farmer & Sundberg, 1986) measures how often a person experiences boredom — the aversive state of wanting meaningful engagement and finding none. This page uses an educational adaptation of the scale's core items.
Boredom proneness is not laziness or a lack of interests. Research links higher boredom proneness to attention difficulties, impulsivity and a lower sense of meaning — it describes how easily your environment fails to engage you, not how much you have to do.
How to read your result
Higher scores mean boredom visits you more often and bites harder. Occasional boredom is normal and even useful — it signals that a current activity has lost its value and nudges you to look for something better.
Chronic, high-intensity boredom is worth taking seriously: it is consistently associated with lower well-being and, in some studies, with risk behaviors. If boredom feels constant and painful, it can be a secondary signal of something else — burnout, attention difficulties or low mood — worth discussing with a professional.
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About the Scale
The Boredom Proneness Scale was developed by Farmer and Sundberg (1986). This page uses the 8-item short form (BPS-SR) by Struk, Carriere, Cheyne and Danckert (2017).
Interpreting Results
Each statement is rated from 0 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Your total is the sum of all 8 items and ranges from 0 to 48: 0–20 is low, 21–33 is moderate, and 34–48 is high.
Disclaimer
This test is for educational and self-reflection purposes only. It is not a diagnostic tool. If boredom is accompanied by persistent low mood or loss of interest, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
References
- Farmer, R., & Sundberg, N. D. (1986). Boredom proneness: The development and correlates of a new scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 50(2), 166-174. 10.1207/s15327752jpa5002_2
Frequently Asked Questions
Have another question? Let us know.
What is boredom proneness?
It is the stable tendency to experience boredom frequently and intensely — a trait measure, not a description of today's mood.
Is boredom bad for you?
In small doses it is useful: it signals lost value and motivates change. Chronic boredom, however, is consistently linked to lower well-being, poorer attention and risk-taking.
Which version of the scale is this?
An educational adaptation of the original 28-item BPS by Farmer and Sundberg (1986), shortened for online self-reflection.
How long does it take?
About three to four minutes.
What does a high score mean?
That boredom is a frequent guest in your life. Use it as a prompt to examine what is missing — challenge, meaning, autonomy or stimulation — rather than as a judgment.
Is being easily bored the same as being lazy?
No. Research associates boredom proneness with attention and meaning-processing differences, not with motivation deficits or laziness.
What helps with chronic boredom?
Usually a combination: more demanding challenges at the edge of your abilities, more autonomy in how you work, and activities with visible meaning. Reducing passive scrolling also helps — it trains boredom rather than curing it.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. Boredom proneness is a well-studied trait, but this scale is an educational tool and not a clinical instrument.
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