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The role of state feelings of loneliness in the situational regulation of social affiliative behavior: Exploring the regulatory relations within a multilevel framework.

ABSTRACT: Previous empirical evidence suggests that the engagement in social interactions across different everyday contexts occurs in a manner highly responsive to a person's social affiliation needs. As has been shown repeatedly, social engagement (as well as disengagement) can be predicted from earlier situational need states, implying that homeostatic principles underlie a person's social affiliative behaviors. However, little is known about the role of emotion in these regulative processes. For this reason, the present exploratory study investigated the predictive role of state feelings of loneliness in subsequent engagement in social interaction. Since loneliness is conceptually associated with both the need to reaffiliate as well as self-protecting tendencies potentially hindering engagement in social contact, the study investigated the possibility of both increases and decreases in social contacts resulting from state feelings of loneliness. Adopting an experience sampling methodology (ESM), a sample of 65 participants was recruited from a local university and was followed for 14 days. Subjects were prompted several times a day to rate their feeling states and the quantity of social interactions, using a fixed interval assessment schedule. Statistical analyses using multilevel analysis indicated that state feelings of loneliness had complex quadratic effects upon subsequent social interaction, leading to both increases and decreases in subsequent social interaction. Moreover, these effects were contingent upon previous engagement in social interaction, implying spillover effects across social contexts that are conditionally mediated by feelings of loneliness. These findings clearly imply an important, albeit complex role of state feelings of loneliness in the regulation of social affiliation, both as a predictor and a consequence of social interaction. These exploratory findings are discussed against the background of methodological and conceptual limitations, and several recommendations for future studies are made.

SUBMITTER: Reissmann A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8205143 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Subjects with Asperger's syndrome without intellectual disabilities have significant difficulties in establishing social relationships despite their IQ being within the normal range. One of the effects of social deficit is depression. The question arises whether loneliness and dimensions of meaning in life correlate with the severity of depression and whether the average severity of depression, loneliness and dimensions of meaning in life differentiate the following groups: people with Asperger's syndrome and depression, people with Asperger's syndrome without depression, people with depression without Asperger's syndrome and healthy subjects. The study was conducted on a total of 170 people, including: 43 people with Asperger's syndrome and depression, 41 people with Asperger's syndrome without depression, 40 people with depression without Asperger's syndrome and 46 healthy people (without Asperger's syndrome and without depression). All were administered a demographic survey, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Life Attitude Profile-Revised. Asperger's syndrome and depressive episodes were diagnosed on the basis of ICD-10 research criteria still applicable in Poland. In the group with Asperger's syndrome and depression the highest levels of loneliness and the lowest values of the dimensions of the sense of meaning in life, except for the acceptance of death, were observed. This result was significantly different from the results obtained in the other study groups. Both in people with Asperger's syndrome without depression and in people with depression without Asperger's syndrome, the values of the dimensions of the sense of meaning in life and the level of loneliness differ significantly from the results obtained in the control group. The BDI-II scores correlated positively with the loneliness values and negatively with the sense of meaning in life values in all groups. The results indicate that both suffering from depression and having Asperger's syndrome are associated with an increased sense of loneliness and a reduced sense of meaning in life. People with Asperger's syndrome and depression have the highest values of loneliness and the lowest values of dimensions of the sense of meaning of life compared to the other groups studied. The limitation of the work is the deliberate selection of groups, because it would be interesting to answer the question whether Asperger's syndrome is a risk factor for depression in the population.

Project description:ObjectivePedestrian-related death rates are increasing in the United States, partly due to increased use of distracting smartphones by pedestrians. Previous research documents high frequency of smartphone use while crossing streets near college campuses and in downtown business districts, but little is known about distracted pedestrian behavior in other urban environments. The current study used observational methods to examine and compare distracted pedestrian behavior in four urban areas - near an urban college campus, in a downtown commercial business district, near middle and high schools, and in entertainment districts - as well as examining whether the occurrence of distraction was associated with unsafe crossing behaviors.MethodsWe observed 112 intersections in 46 downtown, 30 school, 25 entertainment district, and 11 college campus-area intersections. Coders recorded distraction, crossing safety, pedestrian demographics, and traffic volume. Chi-square tests compared pedestrian characteristics by intersection type. Log binomial regressions estimated risk ratios (RRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between pedestrians walking alone and traffic volume with distracted crossing behavior, adjusting for age and gender. Similar models examined risk of unsafe crossing behavior by distraction behavior. All models were stratified by intersection type.ResultsDistraction incidence was highest in campus locations (52.9%) and lowest in entertainment districts (16.2%). Walking alone was associated with a 45% higher risk of distraction (RR 1.45, 95% CI 1.30-1.62), although the increased association was limited to entertainment locations (RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25-2.08) and was significantly decreased in all other locations. Higher traffic volume was associated with lower risk of distraction in downtown locations (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.56-0.85) but higher distraction risk in entertainment locations (RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.27-2.31). Associations between distraction and unsafe crossing behaviors were minimal.ConclusionDistracted pedestrian behavior occurs at different rates and in different circumstances, depending on the setting. These results offer valuable data to inform intervention programs that target appropriate populations in appropriate locations.

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The role of state feelings of loneliness in the situational regulation of social affiliative behavior: Exploring the regulatory relations within a multilevel framework.

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