Fatigue, boredom, and objectively-measured smartphone use at work

Nowadays, many people take short breaks with their smartphone at work. The decision whether to continue working or to take a smartphone break is a so-called labor vs leisure decision. Motivational models predict that people are more likely to switch from labor (work) to leisure (smartphone) the more fatigue or boredom they experience. In turn, fatigue and boredom are expected to decrease after the smartphone was used. However, it is not yet clear how smartphone use at work relates to fatigue and boredom. In this study, we tested these relationships in both directions. Participants (N = 83) reported their current level of fatigue and boredom every hour at work while an application continuously logged their smartphone use. Results indicate that participants were more likely to interact with their smartphone the more fatigued or bored they were, but that they did not use it for longer when more fatigued or bored. Surprisingly, participants reported increased fatigue and boredom after having used the smartphone (more). While future research is necessary, our results a) provide real-life evidence for the notion that fatigue and boredom trigger task disengagement and b) suggest that taking a short break with the smartphone may have phenomenological costs.

当前，众多人士在工作期间利用智能手机进行短暂的休息。是否继续工作还是选择使用智能手机休息，构成了所谓的劳动与休闲之间的抉择。动机模型预测，人们在经历更多疲劳或无聊时，更倾向于从劳动（工作）状态转向休闲（使用智能手机）状态。相反，预期在利用智能手机后，疲劳与无聊感将有所降低。然而，目前尚不明确工作期间智能手机的使用与疲劳和无聊之间的关系。在本研究中，我们对该关系的双向性进行了检验。参与者（N = 83）在工作期间每小时报告其当前的疲劳和无聊程度，同时一个应用程序持续记录他们的智能手机使用情况。结果显示，参与者越感到疲劳或无聊，就越有可能与智能手机互动，但他们在疲劳或无聊感更强时并未延长使用时间。令人惊讶的是，参与者报告称在使用智能手机后疲劳和无聊感有所增加（更多）。尽管未来研究仍有必要，但我们的结果一方面为疲劳和无聊触发任务脱离的现实观念提供了实证支持，另一方面暗示着利用智能手机进行短暂休息可能存在现象学成本。