Relation between Preference for Solitude Scale and Social Functioning

Waskowic, Tracey; Cramer, Kenneth M.

doi:10.2466/pr0.1999.85.3.1045

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…For example, preference for solitude is considered as a benign disposition in emerging adulthood ( Bowker et al, 2017 ; Coplan, Ooi, et al, 2019 ). In support of this notion, researchers have found that preference for solitude is not associated with qualities of interpersonal relationships ( Nelson, 2013 ), loneliness ( Burger, 1995 ; Long et al, 2003 ), or social isolation ( Waskowic & Cramer, 1999 ). Furthermore, in a recent study examining perceived acceptability of others’ preference for solitude, participants rated solitude seeking to be highly acceptable (3.61; 1 = It’s really wrong , 4 = It’s perfectly okay ; Bowker et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Dispositional Preference For Solitudementioning

confidence: 98%

Leaving the Loners Alone: Dispositional Preference for Solitude Evokes Ostracism

Ren

Evans

2020

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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What are the interpersonal consequences of seeking solitude? Leading theories in developmental research have proposed that having a general preference for solitude may incur significant interpersonal costs, but empirical studies are still lacking. In five studies (total N = 1,823), we tested whether target individuals with a higher preference for solitude were at greater risk for ostracism, a common, yet extremely negative, experience. In studies using self-reported experiences (Study 1) and perceptions of others’ experiences (Study 2), individuals with a stronger preference for solitude were more likely to experience ostracism. Moreover, participants were more willing to ostracize targets with a high (vs. low) preference for solitude (Studies 3 and 4). Why do people ostracize solitude-seeking individuals? Participants assumed that interacting with these individuals would be aversive for themselves and the targets (Study 5; preregistered). Together, these studies suggest that seeking time alone has important (and potentially harmful) interpersonal consequences.

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Section: Dispositional Preference For Solitudementioning

confidence: 98%

Leaving the Loners Alone: Dispositional Preference for Solitude Evokes Ostracism

Ren

Evans

2020

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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“…The impact of preference for solitude was mixed, in that it was involved in enhancing as well as decreasing SWB. While some studies reported that preference for solitude enhanced SWB and was positively associated with loneliness ( Cramer and Lake (1998) ; Toyoshima & Sato, 2018 ), some studies did not find an effect of preference for solitude on SWB ( Long et al, 2003 ; Waskowic & Cramer, 1999 ); these findings make psychological concepts of preference for solitude unclear. From the results of this study, personal preferences included enjoyment of solitude, and evaluation of the productivity of solitude enhanced SWB; however, these effects were lower than the correlation of loneliness with a preference for solitude.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Preference for solitude is a factor explaining how aging individuals maintain their SWB even as their social interaction decreases; however, the results of previous studies on the same topic are not consistent. Some studies reported that preference for solitude did not correlate with life satisfaction ( Long et al, 2003 ; Waskowic & Cramer, 1999 ), while Toyoshima and Sato (2018) reported that preference for solitude was negatively associated with positive affect. A reason for this could be that preference for solitude is positively associated with loneliness, which is a hindrance for SWB because it is related to passivity in social interaction ( Burger, 1995 ).…”

Section: Preference For Solitude and Swbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Relationship Between Preference for Solitude and Subjective Well-Being Among Japanese Older Adults

Toyoshima

Kusumi

2021

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives Focusing on the fact that older adults with positive emotions tend to spend time alone, this study aimed to examine the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being among older adults. In Study 1, we developed a revised version of the Preference for Solitude Scale with a three-factor structure, unlike the single-factor structure of the original scale. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being using the revised scale. Research Design and Methods We conducted an Internet survey with 210 older adults in Study 1 to develop a revised Japanese scale. In Study 2, to address the possible research method bias in Study 1, we conducted a mail survey with 276 older adults. We examined the replicability of Study 1, confirming metric invariance through multi-group analysis and hypothesis model through path analysis. Results The results of the path analysis indicated that “Productivity during solitude” (Factor 3) was positively related with positive affect and life satisfaction, and “Enjoyment of solitude” (Factor 2) was negatively related with negative affect. However, the results of the mediation analysis suggested that preference for solitude was also related to loneliness, and the indirect effect of preference for solitude on well-being was negative. Discussion and Implications “Enjoyment of solitude” and “Productivity during solitude” were related to maintaining subjective well-being among older adults, although the effects were marginal. The impact of preference for solitude was mixed in enhancing and decreasing subjective well-being.

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“…Although it seems counterintuitive that people who report preferring time alone would not experience this time alone as more pleasant, there are a number of studies suggesting that the relation between preference for solitude and subsequent enjoyment of time alone is more complicated. For example, correlational studies tend to find that preference for solitude correlates with affect in much the same way that shyness and social anxiety do (i.e., positively associated with low self-esteem, negative affect, anxiety, and depression; Burger, 1995;Maes et al, 2016;Teppers et al, 2014;Waskowic & Cramer, 1999). These findings may be at least partly due to issues in operationalizing and measuring preference for solitude.…”

Section: Hypothesis 4: Does Preference For Solitude Moderate Change Imentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As mentioned earlier, this is even true among introverts (Zelenski et al, 2013), so there is reason to expect that the same may occur for those who prefer solitude. It is also true that preference for solitude is strongly correlated with other measures of social withdrawal (e.g., shyness, social avoidance), as well as outcomes related to social withdrawal (e.g., loneliness, depression, and anxiety) (Endo et al, 2017;Wang et al, 2013;Waskowic & Cramer, 1999). Although controlling for loneliness and social anxiety has in some cases found to attenuate or nullify these correlations (see Goossens, 2014 for a review), there remains conceptual overlap among these different motivations for solitude.…”

Section: Integrating Findings On Extraversion Preference For Solitudmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotion Dynamics of Solitude: How Spending Time Alone Affects the Way We Experience and Manage Affect

Hipson¹

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Whether we are meeting friends or scrolling through social media, we spend most of our time entrenched in social activity. This is not surprising, as people tend to happier when they are with others. But is it possible that spending time alone can also make us feel better in some situations? The goal of this dissertation is to explore how solitude affects the way we experience and regulate emotions in daily life. Through the lens of emotion dynamics, solitude is conceptualized as a context in which emotions are deactivated, such that solitude helps reduce heightened emotional arousal (e.g., stress, excitation). However, the effects of solitude on emotions may be different depending on how one spends their time alone and their dispositions toward solitude. This dissertation research uses a Bayesian approach to explore the situational and individual factors that underlie the emotion dynamics of solitude. Study 1 examined the relation between solitude and change in emotions over the course of a negative event. Study 2 examined how solitary activities modulate the relation between solitude and emotion. Finally, Study 3 uses an experience sampling paradigm to examine how solitude predicts emotion regulation strategy choice and effectiveness. Results are integrated into a larger contextual model that provides a deeper understanding of the complex relations between solitude and well-being.

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Relation between Preference for Solitude Scale and Social Functioning

Cited by 14 publications

References 12 publications

Leaving the Loners Alone: Dispositional Preference for Solitude Evokes Ostracism

Leaving the Loners Alone: Dispositional Preference for Solitude Evokes Ostracism

Examining the Relationship Between Preference for Solitude and Subjective Well-Being Among Japanese Older Adults

Emotion Dynamics of Solitude: How Spending Time Alone Affects the Way We Experience and Manage Affect

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