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Low self-control: A hidden cause of loneliness?
Stavrova,Olga Ren,Dongning Pronk,Tila
Stavrova,Olga
Ren,Dongning
Pronk,Tila
Abstract
Loneliness has been associated with multiple negative outcomes. But what contributes to loneliness in the first place? Drawing from the literature on the importance of self-regulatory ability for successful social functioning, the present research explored the role of low self-control as a factor leading to loneliness. A set of four studies (and three additional studies in Supplementary Online Materials) using cross-sectional, experimental, daily diary, and experience sampling methods showed that lower self-control is associated with higher loneliness at both trait and state levels. Why does low self-control contribute to loneliness? Self-control failures that have negative implications for others lead to higher risks for being ostracized by others, which predicts increased feelings of loneliness over time. These results suggest that low self-control, which is often associated with negative intrapersonal outcomes, can have important interpersonal consequences by evoking ostracism, and consequently, loneliness.
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Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Date
2022
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Keywords
self-control, loneliness, ostracism, social exclusion, daily diary, experience sampling
Citation
Stavrova, O, Ren, D & Pronk, T 2022, 'Low self-control : A hidden cause of loneliness?', Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 347-362. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211007228