Goofing off

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Goofing off is engaging in recreation or an idle pastime while obligations of work or society are neglected. Common obligations neglected in the course of goofing off include schoolwork, paid employment, social courtesies and the expectations of relations.

Contents

[edit] School

Goofing off at school is considered to be an adaptive behaviour.[1] If this occurs within the classroom, teachers can resolve the matter quickly by direct confrontation.[2]

[edit] Work

Employers may use wage premiums to discourage goofing off by their employees. It is suggested that the effects of such incentives causes aging to have a negative effect upon earnings sooner than would be otherwise expected. [3]

[edit] Sex differences

Some research indicates that women tend to feel more guilt than men about taking time for themselves and so use breaks to become more organized. [4]

[edit] Benefits

Goofing off may be a form of creativity and experimentation, providing useful learning experiences and discoveries.[5]

[edit] Examples

  • Perhaps the most famous example of goofing off is the tale reported by Suetonius of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. Although commonly retold, it is untrue.[6] [7]
  • In October of 2007, two Cincinnati police officers were "suspended as a result of the investigation into allegations of goofing off."[8]
  • In May of 2008, the ABC news affiliate in San Francisco revealed that some "government workers goof off on Wikipedia."[9]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Robert Everhart (Spring 1982), “The Nature of "Goofing Off" among Junior High School Adolescents”, Adolescence 17 (65): 177-88, <http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ262892&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ262892> 
  2. ^ John P. Fields, Classroom Management and Conflict Resolution: From "Goofing Off" to Violence in the Classroom, <https://www-s.ed.uiuc.edu/ed-online/cter/courses/edpsy399ol/course_docs/lessn_suppl/sample-paper/Classroom_Management.pdf> 
  3. ^ Kenneth V. Greene (Oct 1979), “Goofing off, Aging and Earnings”, Southern Economic Journal (Southern Economic Association) (no. 2): 623-627, <http://www.jstor.org/pss/1057434> 
  4. ^ Cynthia R. Shuster (2001), “Take Five:” Simplify, Ohio State University, <http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm01/pdf/FS22.pdf> 
  5. ^ Lara Honos-Webb (2005), The Gift of ADHD, pp. 105, ISBN 1572243899, <http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xIVyVMZJEs0C> 
  6. ^ The Lives of Twelve Caesars, Life of Nero
  7. ^ "Nero Fiddled while Rome Burned", The Classical Journal (1948), p. 211-217
  8. ^ Cops named in allegations of goofing off; by Kimball Perry; The Cincinnati Enquirer; 19 Oct 2007.
  9. ^ Government workers goof off on Wikipedia, KGO Channel 7, ABC News, San Francisco; 13 May 2008.

[edit] External links