The Handbook of Solitude (2^nd Ed.) Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone

Learn more about the positive and negative psychological effects of solitude, isolation, and being alone in this expertly edited resource

It has never been more important to understand the impact of solitude. The newly revised and updated second edition of The Handbook Of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives On Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone delivers another comprehensive academic volume of psychological research on the topic of solitude. This second edition includes a new organizational framework that considers both contemporary and emerging conceptual perspectives along with a more nuanced approach to the significance of context in the study of solitude. There is also an increased focus on clinical, developmental, and social psychological perspectives.

The latest edition also offers new discussions regarding recent trends in the positive aspects of solitude, including a new chapter on mindfulness, and provides more detailed coverage of the emerging impact of social media and computer gaming on psychological health and well-being across the lifespan. Scholars from across the world have contributed to this volume, coming from countries including Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Greece, Poland, South Korea and the USA, among others.

The editors offer a broad and complete perspective that will appeal to many disciplines within psychology, and the book provides accessible content that is relatively brief in length and edited to remove unnecessary technical jargon. The book also includes:

• Lengthy discussions of historical and theoretical perspectives on solitude, including the phenomenon of social withdrawal in childhood
• An exploration of the significance of close relationships, including with peers and parents, on experiences of being alone and psychological well-being
• A treatment of the neuroscientific and evolutionary perspectives on shyness and social withdrawal
• A comprehensive section on solitude across the lifespan, including expressions of shyness in infancy and childhood, the causes and consequences of playing alone in childhood, social withdrawal in adolescence and emerging adulthood, being single in adulthood, and isolation, loneliness, and solitude in older adulthood
• A consideration of solitary confinement as an extreme form of social isolation
• Careful cultural consideration of solitude and related constructs with new chapters on immigration and hikikomori

Perfect for advanced undergraduate and graduate level students taking a variety of courses in developmental, biological, social, personality, organizational, health, educational, cognitive, and clinical psychology, the second edition of The Handbook Of Solitude has also earned a place in the libraries of researchers and scholars in these, and related psychological disciplines.

List of Contributors vii

Part I Theoretical Perspectives 1

1 Alone Again: Revisiting Psychological Perspectives on Solitude 3
Robert J. Coplan, Julie C. Bowker, and Larry J. Nelson

2 Evolutionary and Neuroscientific Perspectives on Adaptive Shyness 16
Raha Hassan, Taigan L. MacGowan, Kristie L. Poole, and Louis A. Schmidt

3 An Attachment Perspective on Solitude and Loneliness 31
Mario Mikulincer, Phillip R. Shaver, and Inbal Gal

4 What Does Animal (Nonhuman) Research Tell Us About Social Deprivation and Social Isolation? 42
Selin Zeytinoglu and Nathan A. Fox

5 The Origins of Beneficial Solitude: Psychoanalytic Perspectives 58
Evangelia Galanaki

6 Culture, Social Withdrawal, and Development 75
Xinyin Chen and Mengting Liu

Part II Solitude Across the Life Span 89

7 Behavioral Inhibition and Psychopathology in Childhood 91
Emma E. Mumper and Daniel N. Klein

8 Solitary Activities from Early Childhood to Adolescence: Causes, Content, and Consequences 105
Robert J. Coplan, Laura L. Ooi, and Will E. Hipson

9 Manifestations of Solitude in Interpersonal Contexts and Negative Peer Experiences: Peer Rejection, Exclusion, and Victimization 117
Gary W. Ladd, Becky Kochenderfer-Ladd, Idean Ettekal, and Brandon N. Clifford

10 Social Withdrawal During Adolescence: The Role of Peers 133
Julie C. Bowker, Hope I. White, and Rebecca G. Etkin

11 Social Withdrawal During Emerging Adulthood 146
Larry J. Nelson and Mallory A. Millett

12 Current and Future Paths in Research on Singlehood 163
Katarzyna Adamczyk

13 Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Solitude in Older Adulthood 178
Christiane A. Hoppmann, Jennifer C. Lay, Theresa Pauly, and Elizabeth Zambrano

Part III Understanding Solitude: Constructs, Processes, and Contexts 191

14 Social Approach and Avoidance Motivations 193
Jana Nikitin and Simone Schoch

15 Ostracism and Solitude 209
Eric D. Wesselmann, Kipling D. Williams, Dongning Ren, and Andrew H. Hales

16 The Possibilities of Aloneness and Solitude: Developing an Understanding Framed Through the Lens of Human Motivation and Needs 224
Thuy‐vy T. Nguyen, Netta Weinstein, and Richard M. Ryan

17 Getting Even Lonelier? Psychological Well‐Being and Problematic Use of Media in the Over‐Connected Society 240
Jung-Hyun Kim

18 New Media and Solitude: Implications for Peer Relations 254
Kaitlyn Burnell, Madeleine J. George, and Marion K. Underwood

19 Alone Versus Together: Finding the Right Balance for Creativity 268
Paul B. Paulus, Jared B. Kenworthy, and Laura R. Marusich

20 Solitude as a Means to Obtaining Mental Rest in Skilled Athlete Populations 280
David W. Eccles, Alexander Kazmier, and Christopher Ehrhardt

21 From Shyness to Social Anxiety: Understanding Solitude in the Context of Immigration 294
Yiyuan Xu, Charissa S.L. Cheah, Craig H. Hart, and You Jung Seo

Part IV Solitude, Health, and Psychopathology 309

22 Introversion, Solitude, and Happiness 311
John M. Zelenski, Karin Sobocko, and Deanna C. Whelan

23 Solitary and Social Aspects of Restoration in Nature 325
Kalevi Korpela and Henk Staats

24 Intentional Solitude and Mindfulness: The Benefits of Being Alone 340
Chelom E. Leavitt, Bethany Butzer, Rebecca W. Clarke, and Kami Dvorakova

25 Loneliness and Associated Mental Health Sequelae in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder 351
Lauren Baczewski and Connie Kasari

26 Social Anxiety Disorder and Emotional Solitude 364
Lynn E. Alden and Klint Fung

27 Hikikomori: Risks and Consequences of Extreme Self‐imposed Social Marginalization 378
Paul W.C. Wong and Tim M.H. Li

28 Solitary Confinement Is Not “Solitude”: The Worst Case Scenario of Being “Alone” in Prison 390
Craig Haney

Part V Magnum Opus 405

29 Social Withdrawal in Childhood: A Personal History of Theory and Research That Guided a Program of Developmental Research 407
Kenneth H. Rubin

Index 448

Robert J. Coplan, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University and Director of the Pickering Centre for Research in Human Development. His research focuses on the development and implications of shyness and social withdrawal, from early childhood to emerging adulthood, and across cultures.

Julie C. Bowker, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Her research focus is on socio-emotional development and psychopathology during late childhood and early adolescence.

Larry J. Nelson, PhD, is Professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. His research focuses on factors related to flourishing and floundering in the transition to adulthood including the role of social withdrawal, parenting, and culture.