Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life

Weinstein, Netta; Hansen, Heather; Nguyen, Thuy-vy

doi:10.1177/01461672221115941

Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life

Weinstein, Netta; Hansen, Heather; Nguyen, Thuy-vy

Authors

Netta Weinstein

Heather Hansen

Dr Thuy-Vy Nguyen thuy-vy.nguyen@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor

Abstract

Abstract What does it mean to be in solitude? Researchers building this nascent field are learning much about the potential affordances of solitude, but lack an agreed-upon definition or set of definitions. Arriving at that meaning is crucial to forming a solid foundation for studies that use both naturalistic and laboratory designs to explore outcomes of solitude. This study identified themes from semi-structured interviews with adults aged 19 to 80 from diverse backgrounds. We concluded that solitude is a state in which the dominant relationship is with the self. If not physically alone, people in solitude are mentally distanced from others and away from active technology-mediated interactions. Complete solitude involves both physical separation and inner focus, but solitude is best defined through a taxonomy that recognizes physical separation and internal focus as independent, sufficient characteristics. An internal focus benefits from (but is not defined by) balancing solitude with social time, quiet, and choice.

Citation

Weinstein, N., Hansen, H., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 49(12), https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221115941

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Jul 6, 2022
Online Publication Date	Sep 3, 2022
Publication Date	2023-12
Deposit Date	Nov 24, 2022
Publicly Available Date	Nov 24, 2022
Journal	Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Print ISSN	0146-1672
Electronic ISSN	1552-7433
Publisher	SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	49
Issue	12
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221115941
Public URL	https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1185508

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Advance online version This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).