Erin Westgate

Who they are

The work of Erin Westgate reaches this site through the paper listed below. On this site the name is tied to MAC Model of Boredom, Boredom.

Key papers

Westgate, E. C., & Wilson, T. D. (2018). Boring thoughts and bored minds: The MAC model of boredom and cognitive engagement. Psychological Review, 125(5), 689-713. What it reports: Presents the MAC model, in which boredom signals that attention is not successfully engaged in an activity that matters to the person. Attention problems and meaning problems each produce boredom on their own, and too little or too much stimulation both count as attention problems.

Key ideas

MAC Model of Boredom: Westgate and Wilson's model in which attention and meaning are two independent sources of boredom.

Boredom: the discomfort of wanting engagement and not finding it, which the commentary separates from finding thought unpleasant

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