The Handbook of Solitude
Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone
2. Edition May 2021
480 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
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.
1. Alone Again: Revisiting Psychological Perspectives on Solitude
Robert J. Coplan (Carleton University, Canada), Julie C. Bowker (University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA), and Larry J. Nelson (Brigham Young University, USA)
2. Evolutionary and Neuroscientific Perspectives on Adaptive Shyness
Raha Hassan, Taigan MacGowan, Kristie L. Poole, and Louis A. Schmidt (McMaster University, Canada)
3. An Attachment Perspective on Solitude and Loneliness
Mario Mikulincer (Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel), Phillip R. Shaver (University of California Davis, USA), and Inbal Gal (Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel)
4. What Does Animal (Nonhuman) Research Tell us About Social Deprivation and Social Isolation?
Selin Zeytinoglu and Nathan Fox (University of Maryland, USA)
5. The Origins of Beneficial Solitude: Psychoanalytical Perspectives
Evangelia Galanaki (University of Athens, Greece)
6. Culture, Social Withdrawal, and Development
Xinyin Chen and Mengting Liu (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
II. Solitude across the Life Span
7. Behavioral Inhibition and Psychopathology in Childhood
Emma E. Mumper and Daniel Klein (Stony Brook University, USA)
8. Solitary Activities in from Early Childhood to Adolescence: Causes, Content, and Consequences
Robert J. Coplan, Laura L. Ooi, and Will E. Hipson (Carleton University, Canada)
9. Manifestations of Solitude in Interpersonal Contexts and Negative Peer Experiences: Peer Rejection, Exclusion, and Victimization
Gary W. Ladd (Arizona State University, USA), Becky Kochenderfer-Ladd (Arizona State University, USA), Idean Ettekal (Texas A & M University, USA), and Brandon Clifford (Arizona State University, USA)
10. Social Withdrawal During Adolescence: The Role of Peers
Julie C. Bowker (University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA), Hope I. White (University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA), and Rebecca G. Etkin (Yale University School of Medicine, USA)
11. Social Withdrawal During Emerging Adulthood
Larry J. Nelson and Mallory Millet (Brigham Young University, USA)
12. Current and Future Paths in Research on Singlehood
Katarzyna Adamczyk (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland)
13. Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Solitude in Older Adulthood
Christiane Hoppmann(University of British Columbia, Canada), Jennifer Lay (Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong), Theresa Pauly (University of British Columbia, Canada), and Elizabeth Zambrano(University of British Columbia, Canada)
III. Understanding Solitude: Constructs, Processes, and Contexts
14. Social Approach and Avoidance Motivations
Jana Nikitin (University of Basel, Switzerland) and Simone Schoch (Zurich University of Teacher Education, Switzerland)
15. Ostracism and Solitude
Eric D. Wesselmann (Illinois State University, USA), Kipling D. Williams (Purdue University, USA), Dongning Ren (Tilburg University, The Netherlands), and Andrew H. Hales (University of Virginia, USA)
16. The Possibilities of Aloneness and Solitude: Developing an Understanding Framed Through the Lens of Human Motivation and Needs
Thuy-vy T. Nguyen (University of Durham, UK), Netta Weinstein (Cardiff University, UK), and Richard M. Ryan (Australian Catholic University, Australia)
17. Getting even Lonelier? Psychological Well-Being and Problematic Use of Media in the Over-Connected Society
Jung-Hyun Kim (Sogang University, South Korea)
18. New Media and Solitude: Implications for Peer Relations
Kaitlyn Burnell (Duke University, USA), Madeleine J. George, (Purdue University, USA), and Marion Underwood (Purdue University, USA)
19. Alone vs. Together: Finding the Right Balance for Creativity
Paul B. Paulus (University of Texas at Arlington, USA), Jared B. Kenworthy (University of Texas Arlington, USA), and Laura R. Marusich (U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory, USA)
20. Solitude as Means of Obtaining Mental Rest in Skilled Athlete Populations
David W. Eccles (Florida State University, USA), Alexander Kazmier (Durham University, UK), and Christopher Ehrhart (Florida State University, USA)
21. From Shyness to Social Anxiety: Understanding Solitude in the Context of Immigration
Yiyuan Xu (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA), Charissa S.L. Cheah (University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA), Craig H. Hart (Brigham Young University, USA), and You Jung Seo (University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA)
IV. Solitude, Health, and Psychopathology
22. Introversion, Solitude, and Happiness
John M. Zelenski, Karin Sobocko, and Deanna C. Whelan (Carleton University, Canada)
23. Solitary and Social Aspects of Restoration in Nature
Kalevi Korpela (Tampere University, Finland) and Henk Staats (Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands)
24. Intentional Solitude and Mindfulness: The Benefits of Being Alone
Chelom E., Leavitt (Brigham Young University, USA), Bethany Butzer (The University of New York in Prague, Czech Republic), Rebecca Clarke (Brigham Young University, USA), and Kami Dvorakova (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
25. Loneliness and Associated Mental Health Sequelae in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Lauren Baczewski and Connie Kasari (University of California, Los Angeles [UCLA] USA)
26. Social Anxiety Disorder and Emotional Solitude
Lynn E. Alden and Klint Fung (University of British Columbia, Canada)
27. Hikikomori: Risks and Consequences of Extreme Self-Imposed Social Marginalization
PaulWong and Tim M.H. Li (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
28. Solitary Confinement is not Solitude: The Worst Case Scenario of Being Alone in Prison
Craig Haney (University of California, Santa Cruz, USA)
V. Magnum Opus
29. Social Withdrawal in Childhood: A Personal History of Theory and Research that Guided a Program of Developmental Research
Kenneth H. Rubin (University of Maryland, USA)
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.
