Loneliness, Social Connectedness, and Human Behavior: A Review of Psychological Mechanisms and Contemporary Social Influences

Abstract

Loneliness and social connectedness are multidimensional social-psychological constructs that have significant implications for human behaviour, well-being, and social participation and are increasingly being understood. This review synthesizes contemporary evidence on the conceptual foundations, psychological mechanisms, behavioral consequences, and social contexts associated with loneliness and connectedness. It suggests that loneliness is associated with a lack of meaningful relationships and not simply with a lack of social contact, and that connectedness is grounded in feelings of belonging, attachment, social identity, trust, and quality of interpersonal relationships. Psychological mechanisms related to social cognition, rejection sensitivity, emotion regulation, self-evaluation and interpersonal trust can help account for withdrawal, avoidance, and/or altered decision-making as a response to disconnection. Digital communication, hybrid work, mobility, social comparison, and evolving family and friend networks are other processes influenced by a contemporary environment. There is sufficient evidence to support a multi-level approach to intervention with a mix of psychological, relational, community, digital and population-sensitive strategies. Future studies are needed to establish the role of loneliness throughout the life course, as well as to understand which social relationships are more or less likely to buffer against loneliness under varying social circumstances, and to provide cross-cultural and comparative designs.