| dc.description.abstract | Motivational hedonism holds that the ultimate goal of behavior is to maximize
pleasure and avoid pain. This investigation was meant to explore if a negative
experience would be chosen over a more positive experience, and what might motivate
this behavior. It was predicted that boredom would motivate a desire for novelty,
resulting in anti-hedonic behaviors. Participants viewed a series of images (to induce
boredom) and then chose the second set of images they would view, with one of the
options being hedonically negative. Participants that reported a higher degree of
boredom were more likely to choose the negative image set. Manipulated boredom was
found to indirectly predict choice of image set through the effect on desire for novelty.
Those placed in a high state of boredom, reported a stronger desire for novelty, which
resulted in a higher probability of selecting the negative image set. When given options
to choose a better or worse affective state from current, participants that experienced
higher levels of state boredom, were more likely to choose a worse experience. In the
final study, preference for an anti-hedonic option was found to play an important role in
choice, such that, participants that liked the negative image set were less likely to make a
choice motivated by a desire for novelty. These findings reveal that people will make
anti-hedonic choices when their current state evokes boredom. | en |
