Lonely traits and concomitant physiological processes: the MacArthur social neuroscience studies

Loneliness is a complex set of feelings encompassing reactions to unfulfill ed intimate and social needs. Although transient for some individuals, lone liness can be a chronic state for others. Prior research has shown that lon eliness is a major risk factor for psychological disturbances and for broad -based morbidity and mortality. We examined differences between lonely and socially embedded individuals that might explain differences in health outc omes. Satisfying social relationships were associated with more positive ou tlooks on life, more secure attachments and interactions with others, more autonomic activation when confronting acute psychological challenges, and m ore efficient restorative behaviors. Individuals who were chronically lonel y were characterized by elevated mean salivary cortisol levels across the c ourse of a day, suggesting more discharges of corticotropin-releasing hormo ne and elevated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocorticol axi s. An experimental manipulation of loneliness further suggested that the wa y in which people construe their self in relation to others around them has powerful effects on their self concept and, possibly, on their physiology. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.