Deconstructing Solitude and Its Links to Well-Being

Although solitude is a common experience in daily life, empirical research on its effects is scarce and challenging to interpret. Here, we propose a methodological framework to study solitude and highlight its value in understanding the link between solitude and well-being. First, we advocate for clear conceptualization and operationalizations of solitude and provide recommendations for how to achieve these objectives. Second, we tease apart various dimensions of solitude, including its duration and underlying motivational, emotional and cognitive qualities. Finally, we integrate research from various subfields of psychology (e.g., social-personality, clinical, developmental) and summarize the nuanced and complex relationship between solitude and well-being, which depends on the specific dimensions being studied. Taken together, we hope the proposed framework will equip the next generation of researchers with a systematic methodology for studying solitude and ultimately facilitate more productive research in this domain.