How Boring is This? Examining Psychometric Properties of the Job Boredom Index
Type of Presentation
Poster Session
Location
University Library
Start Date
4-10-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2026 3:15 PM
Description of Program
Psychometric properties of the Job Boredom Index (JBI), a new measure of job boredom, were examined. Results from a two-wave study showed the JBI has favorable test-retest and internal consistency reliability. The JBI correlated with relevant work perceptions and attitudes and compared favorably with an established job boredom measure.
Abstract
Job boredom is a common workplace experience associated with negative outcomes such as reduced job satisfaction, counterproductive work behaviors, and psychological strain. Although research on job boredom has expanded, measurement challenges remain because some existing scales include items reflecting cognitive appraisals or behavioral responses rather than the emotional experience of boredom itself. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Job Boredom Index (JBI), a newly developed measure designed to capture the affective experience of boredom at work with greater construct clarity. Data were collected using a two-wave survey design with a four-week time lag among employed university students (N = 95). Participants completed the JBI at both time points along with measures of work design characteristics (skill variety, autonomy, and work underload), work attitudes (global job satisfaction and satisfaction with work itself), and work-related emotions (frustration and jealousy). Results demonstrated strong reliability for the JBI, including high internal consistency (α = .88–.91) and substantial test–retest reliability (r = .70). Evidence for convergent validity was supported by significant negative correlations with skill variety, autonomy, global job satisfaction, and satisfaction with work itself, and a positive relationship with work-related frustration. Differential validity was supported by the absence of meaningful relationships with jealousy. Comparisons with the Dutch Boredom Scale further indicated that the JBI accounted for greater unique variance in several theoretically relevant constructs. Overall, findings support the JBI as a concise, reliable, and valid measure of job boredom.
How Boring is This? Examining Psychometric Properties of the Job Boredom Index
University Library
Job boredom is a common workplace experience associated with negative outcomes such as reduced job satisfaction, counterproductive work behaviors, and psychological strain. Although research on job boredom has expanded, measurement challenges remain because some existing scales include items reflecting cognitive appraisals or behavioral responses rather than the emotional experience of boredom itself. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Job Boredom Index (JBI), a newly developed measure designed to capture the affective experience of boredom at work with greater construct clarity. Data were collected using a two-wave survey design with a four-week time lag among employed university students (N = 95). Participants completed the JBI at both time points along with measures of work design characteristics (skill variety, autonomy, and work underload), work attitudes (global job satisfaction and satisfaction with work itself), and work-related emotions (frustration and jealousy). Results demonstrated strong reliability for the JBI, including high internal consistency (α = .88–.91) and substantial test–retest reliability (r = .70). Evidence for convergent validity was supported by significant negative correlations with skill variety, autonomy, global job satisfaction, and satisfaction with work itself, and a positive relationship with work-related frustration. Differential validity was supported by the absence of meaningful relationships with jealousy. Comparisons with the Dutch Boredom Scale further indicated that the JBI accounted for greater unique variance in several theoretically relevant constructs. Overall, findings support the JBI as a concise, reliable, and valid measure of job boredom.