Abstract
Research on the link between affinity for solitude (a tendency to enjoy time alone) and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents has been mixed; however, this may depend on whether time spent alone is motivated by positive (self-reflection, creative pursuits) or reactive (negative affect, avoiding social interaction) factors. The current study investigated affinity for solitude and motivations for spending time alone among 1072 early to mid-adolescents (Mage = 12.48 years, age range = 10–16, 49.8% female). Higher reactive solitude predicted depressive symptoms, peer victimization, and lower self-esteem, controlling for previous scores on these adjustment indicators. For social anxiety and friendship quality, there were significant 3-way interactions between affinity for solitude, reactive solitude, and frequency of time spent alone, indicating that the relation between affinity for solitude and these latter adjustment indicators depends on why and how often youth spend time alone. Findings indicate that attention should be given to youth who spend time alone for reactive reasons, as this appears to be associated with negative adjustment.
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This study was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to Teena Willoughby.
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MEB took the lead role in the statistical analyses, interpretation, and writing of the paper; and TW conceived of the study and designed the statistical analyses. Both authors have read and approved the final paper.
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This study has ethics approval from Brock University (REB 16-080).
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Appendix A
Appendix A
Motivations for solitude scale
Why do you spend time alone (not including sleep time, and spending time alone does not have to mean that you have to be home alone)?
Never/almost never | Sometimes | Often | Almost always/always | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Positive solitude | ||||
Because it helps me concentrate | ||||
Because I can do quiet thinking | ||||
Because I like to do some things by myself (e.g., play an instrument, etc.) | ||||
Because it makes me feel good | ||||
Because I need some quiet time | ||||
Reactive solitude | ||||
I want to spend time with others but they do not want to spend time with me | ||||
Because I get bullied by others | ||||
Because I get nervous spending time with others | ||||
Because I do not have anyone to spend time with | ||||
Because I do not like being around others | ||||
Because I am sad or unhappy |
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Borg, M.E., Willoughby, T. Affinity for Solitude and Motivations for Spending Time Alone Among Early and Mid- Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 51, 156–168 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01520-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01520-1