Feelings Of Social Connection Research Articles

Changes in peripheral oxytocin and vasopressin during a silent month-long Insight meditation retreat

BackgroundGiven its putative roles in mediating prosocial behavior, attachment bonds, and stress physiology, oxytocin modulation has been hypothesized to be a biological correlate of the salubrious effects of meditation practice. Here we investigated the effects of a month-long silent meditation retreat on changes in oxytocin, and the related hormone and vasopressin, in relation to psychosocial changes in attachment style, anxiety, personality measures, and feelings of social connectedness with fellow meditators.MethodsPlasma oxytocin and vasopressin and self-report questionnaires were measured in retreat participants (n = 28) at the beginning of, and 3 weeks into, a residential meditation retreat. Control participants (n = 34), who were similar in age, gender, and meditation experience, were also assessed across a 3-week interval. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess outcomes.ResultsThe retreat group showed a small but significant decrease in oxytocin compared to controls who showed no change. In the retreat group, higher openness to experience at Time 1 predicted greater reductions in oxytocin during the retreat, and lower oxytocin at Time 2 was related to stronger feelings of personal connection with fellow meditators. The changes in oxytocin were not related to attachment style or anxiety. Vasopressin decreased over time across both groups, suggesting no specific effect of retreat.ConclusionThese preliminary findings suggest that meditation training in the context of a silent residential retreat may reduce circulating levels of oxytocin. We interpret this finding from multiple theoretical perspectives, discussing key measurement limitations and proposing future study designs that may help to differentiate the effects of different meditation practices and contexts on oxytocin signaling.

Exploring active ageing in a community-based living environment: an ethnographic study in the Western Norway context.

Age-friendly environments intend to promote active ageing by facilitating social, mental, and physical participation. This could potentially delay the onset of chronic complex conditions, enabling people to live longer independently at home, and prevent loneliness. This study investigates a community-based living environment in Norway called Helgetun and aims to explore how it can facilitate active ageing. We chose an ethnographic approach consisting of observation, informal conversations, and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 residents (11 female, 4 male, ages 62-84). We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. We developed three themes on facilitating active ageing in this living environment: maintaining self-identity, experiencing growth and development, and feeling a sense of belonging. These themes were related to physical activity levels, social engagement, and overall satisfaction with the living environment. Maintaining self-identity concerned getting a new role in life as well as access to meaningful activities. Experiencing growth and development involved being exposed to new activities, learning new skills, and experiencing mastery. Lastly, feeling a sense of belonging meant feeling safe and part of a group, as well as receiving social support and help. This feeling of social connectedness and safety was reflected in their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, in which most felt relatively unaffected, suggesting that this way of living could increase reliance among this age group. Having a flexible structure, adapting to the core needs and individual resources of the residents, can facilitate active ageing in community-based living environments. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence that these environments increase social and physical engagement, whilst reducing social isolation and loneliness. These findings may be particularly relevant in a Norwegian context-where older adults are less dependent on family for care-and are meant as grounding points for policymakers to reflect upon designing future senior living.

Togetherness in musical interaction

Playing music as part of a group is challenging, but also rewarding. What factors come together to maximize rewarding group playing experiences? How do feelings of enjoyment, frustration, and social (dis)connection shape group performance as it unfolds? This paper addresses these questions with a discussion of the conditions and processes that underlie rewarding experiences in musical interaction. The concept of musical togetherness is introduced, and defined as the feelings of social connection and pleasure that result from being and acting as part of a group during musical interaction. It is argued that three conditions must be fulfilled for togetherness experiences to occur. First, participants in an interactive setting must be aware of one another as intentional co-performers capable of exchanging expressive ideas. Second, interaction must unfold reliably in real-time, allowing for a mutual perception of liveness. Third, participants must adapt and build off of one another in a way that allows for mutual perception of responsivity. Whether these conditions are met is codetermined by the constraints of the environment in which the interaction takes place and the skills and communication techniques that interaction participants are able to deploy. Togetherness experiences are further supported by alignment between group members in body rhythms and a sense of we-agency, or the feeling of shared contribution to the collective musical output. The social and emotional rewards that are associated with musical togetherness are strengthened through a shared positive emotional response to successful interaction. Musical togetherness is hypothesized to contribute to shaping group performance in real-time by motivating group members to interact in ways that lead them to feel more together. This framework provides structure for a construct that has been used casually in the music psychology literature, has implications for how the performance behaviour of ensemble musicians is understood.

Responsiveness, Social Connection, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Everyday Social Interaction: An Experience Sampling Study

What are the specific everyday communication experiences—from across people’s social networks—that contribute to well-being? In the present work, we focus on the effects of perceived partner responsiveness in social interactions on various well-being outcomes. We hypothesized that everyday moments of responsiveness indirectly support two key estimates of well-being (hope and life satisfaction) through feelings of social connection. Data were obtained in an experience sampling study collected across ten days (N = 120). Results of dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM) showed that responsive interaction predicted increases in hope (but not life satisfaction) through social connection. Results also identified reciprocal within-person links between responsive interaction and social connection throughout the day. These findings underscore the importance of responsive everyday communication for fostering social connection across different types of relationships and for supporting people’s capacity for a hopeful life. We discuss the implications of these results for continued research of responsiveness, hope theory, and well-being from a social interaction lens. On a practical level, the mediation pathway involving hope suggests how small changes in our patterns of everyday social interaction can be consequential to the quality of our lives.

My Heart Will Go On: Implicitly Increasing Social Connectedness by Visualizing Asynchronous Players’ Heartbeats in VR Games

Social games benefit from social connectedness between players because it improves the gaming experience and increases enjoyment. In virtual reality (VR), various approaches, such as avatars, are developed for multi-player games to increase social connectedness. However, these approaches are lacking in single-player games. To increase social connectedness in such games, our work explores the visualization of physiological data from asynchronous players, i.e., electrocardiogram (ECG). We identified two visualization dimensions, the number of players, and the visualization style, after a design workshop with experts (N=4) and explored them in a single-user virtual escape room game. We spatially and temporally integrated the visualizations and compared two times two visualizations against a baseline condition without visualization in a within-subject lab study (N=34). All but one visualization significantly increased participants’ feelings of social connectedness. Heart icons triggered the strongest feeling of connectedness, understanding, and perceived support in playing the game.

Do face masks undermine social connection?

AbstractMask mandates were commonplace around the world during the COVID‐19 pandemic and essential to slowing the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2. However, it is still unclear whether and how masks impact social bonding. Building on past research examining the effects of masking on emotion recognition and social perception, the current research examines the effect of masking on feelings of social connectedness. Three studies (total N = 177) using videotaped introductions of masked and unmasked peers and varied assessments of desire for social connectedness yielded no differences as a function of masking. Although participants reported more difficulty hearing masked (vs. unmasked) peers, masking did not significantly impact other facets of communication or perception related to social bonding. When participants filmed their own introductory videos (Study 3), results showed increased expressivity within the masked (vs. unmasked) conditions, perhaps as a compensatory measure to aid bonding. These findings speak to the resiliency of the human need to belong and belonging‐maintenance processes.

Too tired to connect: Understanding the associations between video-conferencing, social connection and well-being through the lens of zoom fatigue

Video-conferencing use has increased significantly in recent years, highlighting the need to understand its impact on individuals' psychological experiences. We conducted two large survey studies (total N = 3920) to examine the relationship between video-conferencing, video-conference fatigue (Zoom fatigue), and individuals' feelings of social connection, social skills, and life satisfaction. Study 1 showed that people tended to feel more connected to others when video-conference meetings were frequent, brief and conducted with small groups, compared to long meetings with many participants. As meetings became longer and more frequent, people felt less socially connected and reported increased video-conference fatigue. Feeling cognitively or emotionally exhausted from engaging in video-conferencing may limit the ability to meaningfully engage with others in the call. In Study 2, mediation analyses indicated that increased video-conferencing could undermine life satisfaction by increasing video-conference fatigue. Furthermore, we compared participants’ perceptions of their social skills between in-person and video-conferencing meetings, and found people consistently felt less skilled in video-conferences than during in-person meetings. We discuss these findings in the context of widespread remote work and the need to protect well-being in this digital era.

A Psycholinguistic Analysis to the film Midnight in Paris with Reference to Nostalgia

Decades ago, nostalgia was viewed as a disease; now it is considered to be an essential psychological resource which have a great value to human life. True, it is a topic that most common, ordinary, laypeople are acquainted with, but it is a topic that researchers, scientists, writers, and academics have a huge interest in. The the aim of the current paper is to discuss the topic of nostalgia and how it is considered to be a phenomena where people involve in deeply, they experience an improvement in positive psychological states such as positive mood, feelings of social connectedness, self-esteem, self-continuity, and insights of meaning in life. The paper answers the question of why and how people differ in their tendency to be nostalgic. This is done through language analysis of the film Midnight in Paris. This film has a nostalgic theme and it has been analyzed likewise. The purpose, here,is to analyze the language used in the film which emphasizes on the topic of nostalgia. One of the main conclusions arrived at, is the fact that language choices are strongly affected by the psychological condition of the speaker in expressing nostalgic feelings associated with imagination.

Social Connectedness Through Therapeutic Riding: A Case Series

Τhe present study examined how therapeutic riding contributed to social connectedness among children with disabilities and their families using a sequential mixed-method design. Administration of the quantitative Connectedness to Setting Scale questionnaire preceded semi-structured in-person interviews. Participants were 12 parents and 3 instructors at a therapeutic riding centre. Parents indicated their children felt highly socially connected; reflecting a sense of comfort and safety, feelings of protection, understanding, acceptance, and connection to both the people and setting. Two major themes arose from the face-to-face interviews, communication as social connectedness and social connectedness as a mediator. Feelings of social connectedness appeared to mediate the relationship between adverse factors preceding a therapeutic riding lesson and the experience of that lesson. Parents explained that their child’s feelings of social connectedness helped them deal with daily obstacles that could adversely affect their therapeutic riding experience such as upsets at school, cold weather, and changes to staffing and horses. Our findings revealed that parents had high expectations of communication and social connectedness, and that the context of therapeutic riding can be more than a place to ride a horse, it can be a place of belonging.

Directly-measured smartphone screen time predicts well-being and feelings of social connectedness

Previous findings on the relationship between smartphone use and well-being have been mixed. This may be partially due to a reliance on cross-sectional study designs and self-reported smartphone usage. In the current study, we collected screen time data by directly tracking participants’ ( N = 325, ages 14−80 years, 58% women) smartphone usage over a period of 6 days. We combined this tracking with ecological momentary assessment, asking participants three times per day about their psychological well-being and feelings of social connectedness. Smartphone screen time was determined for the hour directly before each assessment. Results revealed that at times when participants used their smartphone more in the hour before an assessment, they reported lower psychological well-being and lower social connectedness. A bidirectional relationship emerged between smartphone screen time and social connectedness, suggesting a potential “vicious cycle” whereby smartphone usage leads to reduced social connectedness, which promotes more smartphone usage.

Come together: The importance of arts and cultural engagement within the Liverpool City Region throughout the COVID-19 lockdown periods.

Arts and cultural engagement activities have long been found to support wellbeing within the general population. In particular, community arts and cultural involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic have been an invaluable source of mental health and wellbeing support for many individuals across the globe. The initial move to remote engagement following the first United Kingdom lockdown demonstrated the importance of hybrid provisions, with isolated and vulnerable individuals finding online provisions important for wellbeing. With restrictions on movement and service access in the United Kingdom having gradually eased from March 2021, it is now important to explore how individuals navigated the ability to engage with either remote or in-person provisions. The current study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on arts and cultural engagement during periods of restrictions and initial easings on movement within the Liverpool City Region. The study consisted of two waves of qualitative interviews within a broader longitudinal study. Twelve interviews were conducted during wave 1, which aimed to capture data during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period and the initial easing of restrictions. Eight of these participants were interviewed again for wave 2, which aimed to capture data during the winter 2020 lockdown period. Framework analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) The Importance of Arts and Culture for Personal Enrichment, (2) Belongingness through Socialization, and (3) Transitioning and Adjusting Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Findings presented in the current study provide further evidence of the value of arts and cultural activities in supporting wellbeing. Specifically, the current data emphasize the value of arts and cultural engagement throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and particularly during times of national restriction. Furthermore, the current study demonstrated that remote engagement provided important wellbeing support throughout the pandemic in a way that protected against mental health consequences, but with limitations on feelings of social connectedness within online environments. Amidst continuing risks from the COVID-19 virus and feelings of uncertainty, this study highlights the importance of hybrid provisions.

Validation of the Social Connectedness Scale in Argentinean adult sample

The feeling of social connectedness is an extremely important factor for the psychosocial well-being of individuals. Experiencing closeness, belonging, and mutual acknowledgement with the people who are part of the social circle, contributes to the establishment and maintenance of positive and stable relationships over time, as well as numerous benefits regarding the quality of life and mental health of individuals. In order to contribute to the field of study of interpersonal relationships, this study aims to adapt and validate the Social Connectedness Scale for Argentinean adults. The sample consisted of 399 individuals between the ages of 18 and 79 who completed the scale which was previously translated and submitted to expert judges. The results confirmed the one-dimensional structure of the scale, invariant by sex, with good internal consistency (ω = .92). Furthermore, evidence of convergent and discriminant validity was provided through correlations with measures of extroversion (rp=.37) and social anxiety (rp = -.61). It is concluded that the measures provided by the Argentinean version of the social connectedness scale are both valid and reliable to be used in research, as well as in clinical settings in Argentinean population.

Should We Be Worried about Smartphone Addiction? An Examination of Canadian Adolescents' Feelings of Social Disconnection in the Time of COVID-19.

As the COVID-19 global pandemic limited face-to-face social contact, mental health concerns increased for adolescents. Additionally, many adolescents turned to technology to communicate with their peers, which also raised concerns about adolescent smartphone addiction. However, research has yet to examine how mental health and technology engagement are related to adolescents’ feelings of social connection—an important developmental predictor of wellbeing across the lifespan. Specifically, little is known regarding the relative risk of adolescents’ mental health concerns, a known risk factor for social disconnection and isolation and smartphone addiction in contributing to feelings of social disconnection in the time of COVID-19. The present study investigated how mental health outcomes and smartphone addiction contributed to Canadian adolescents’ (n = 1753) feelings of social disconnection during COVID-19. Between October 2020 and May 2021, data were collected from five secondary schools in and around the lower mainland of British Columbia using an online-administered self-report questionnaire. Adolescents responded to questions about their smartphone addiction, internalizing problems, and an open-ended question about their feelings of connection to others. Findings from logistic regression analyses indicated that depression was a predictor of feeling socially disconnected: however, smartphone addiction was not associated with feelings of social disconnection during COVID-19. Implications of these findings can help inform the development of prevention programs targeting adolescents at risk for social disconnection in times of increased social isolation (e.g., a global pandemic). Specifically, these findings suggest that adolescents higher in depressive symptoms, and not those higher in smartphone addiction, are the ones most at risk.

The public library as social infrastructure for older patrons: Exploring the implications of online library programming for older adults during COVID-19

Public library systems' websites were often the sole means for older patrons to access library services and programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study integrated Pauwels' (2012) framework to analyze 25 Ontario public library systems' websites for evidence of their available programming for older adults during the early months of COVID-19. The 640 identified programs for older adults revealed a number of patterns, including issues regarding visibility and representation of older patrons on library websites as well as assumptions surrounding older adults' access to technologies. Discussions consider three implications for public libraries as they reopen and create new virtual spaces “postpandemic”: questioning (re)distributions of resources that support both virtual and in-person services, questioning implicit assumptions that digital connection will foster social connection, and questioning the effects of the library as a virtual space on feelings of social connectedness.

Connected Through Mediated Social Touch: “Better Than a Like on Facebook.” A Longitudinal Explorative Field Study Among Geographically Separated Romantic Couples

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in research on mediated communication via social touch. Previous studies indicated that mediated social touch (MST) can induce similar positive outcomes to interpersonal touch. However, studies investigating the user experience of MST technology predominantly involve brief experiments that are performed in well-controlled laboratory conditions. Hence, it is still unknown how MST affects the relationship and communication between physically separated partners in a romantic relationship, in a naturalistic setting and over a longer period of time. In a longitudinal explorative field study, the effects of MST on social connectedness and longing for touch among geographically separated romantic couples were investigated in a naturalistic setting. For 2 weeks, 17 couples used haptic bracelets, that were connected via the internet, to exchange mediated squeeze-like touch signals. Before and after this period, they reported their feelings of social connectedness and longing for touch through questionnaires. The results show that the use of haptic bracelets (1) enhanced social connectedness among geographically separated couples but (2) did not affect their longing for touch. Interviews conducted at the end of the study were analyzed following the thematic analysis method to generate prominent themes and patterns in using MST technology among participant couples. Two main themes were generated that captured (a) the way the bracelets fostered a positive one-to-one connection between partners and (b) the way in which participants worked around their frustrations with the bracelets. Detailed findings and limitations of this longitudinal field study are further discussed, and suggestions are made for future research.

The Missing Measure of Loneliness: A Case for Including Neededness in Loneliness Scales

Prominent tools used to measure loneliness such as the UCLA Scale and DJGS include no items related to being needed, i.e., neededness. More recent scales such as the DLS and SELSA do include items on neededness, but only within their romantic loneliness subscales. This paper proposes that new iterations of loneliness scales should include in all subscales two items on neededness: (a) whether a person feels important to someone else and (b) whether that person has good ways to serve others’ well-being. The paper surveys cognate studies that do not rely on loneliness scales but establish a link between neededness and feelings of social connection. It then highlights ways in which neededness items would improve the ability of loneliness scales to specify the risk profile, to delineate variations in the emotional tone and quality of loneliness, and to propose suitable interventions. The paper outlines a theoretical argument—drawing on moral philosophy—that prosociality and being needed are non-contingent, morally urgent human needs, postulating that the protective benefits of neededness vary according to at least four factors: the significance, persistence, non-instrumentality, and non-fungibility of the ways in which a person is needed. Finally, the paper considers implications for the design of appropriate remedies for loneliness.

“For me, it's connection”: Older Adults Experience with Technology during COVID-19

As a result of COVID-19, older adults have experienced isolation, lost social contacts, and a decrease in connections. A recent study found that “approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling older adults are considered to be socially isolated, and 43% of them report feeling lonely.” Various innovative interventions have emerged, including technology-based interventions as a means to reduce social isolation in older adults, particularly as information communication technology (ICT) use is on the rise among this population. However, it remains to be known how these connections are faring for older adults in the pandemic and whether these ICT connections lead to greater or lesser feelings of social connectedness. Thirty-nine (N=39) in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the lived experiences of technology use among older adults during COVID-19. Participants experiences with ICT ranged from illiterate to savvy. Most participants indicated Zoom was the primary means to stay socially connected to family and friends. Participants emphasized that ICT may be a possible solution to deal with loneliness for those older adults who are especially isolated due to COVID-19 restrictions. Barriers and challenges to ICT use included taking too much time to use and needing help to fix any problems that arose. Finally, participants shared essential aspects of ICT use, revealing that it was ‘technology or nothing.’ Findings from this study indicate a need for a simple ICT for the older adult population. Moreover, findings suggest opportunities for peer-support ICT training programs for older adults.

Can you see me now? Video gatherings and social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic

We surveyed American adults during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine who is more or less likely to use video chat for various types of social gatherings when in-person interactions are less available, and how such gatherings associate with feelings of social connectedness. We found that those with greater socioeconomic and digital privilege were more likely to engage in video gatherings, though participation related to lower social connectedness. Social gatherings over video chat may thus be the recourse for those already feeling disconnected when physically distanced; alternately, such gatherings may leave those who participate in them feeling less connected.

Social Disconnection During COVID-19: The Role of Attachment, Fear of Missing Out, and Smartphone Use.

This mixed‐methods study explored adolescents’ (n = 682) feelings of social connection in the time of the COVID‐19 pandemic and examined potential risk (fear of missing out, problematic smartphone use) and protective (parent/peer attachment, smartphone use) factors to social disconnection. Data were collected from two schools in Canada using an online survey with questionnaires and open‐ended questions. Three themes regarding adolescents’ feelings of social connection during the pandemic were identified through thematic content analysis: (1) feeling socially connected, (2) feeling socially disconnected, and (3) feeling socially indifferent. Moreover, regression analysis identified secure peer attachments as a protective factor against social disconnection in the time of the COVID‐19 pandemic, while fear of missing out was identified as an independent risk factor.

Arts engagement supports social connectedness in adulthood: findings from the HEartS Survey

BackgroundLoneliness is a public health challenge, associated with premature mortality and poorer health outcomes. Social connections can mitigate against loneliness, and there is evidence that the arts can support social connectedness. However, existing research on the arts and social connectedness is limited by focus on particular age groups and arts activities, as well as a reliance on typically small-scale studies.MethodsThis study reports survey data from 5892 adults in the United Kingdom, closely matched to the national profile in terms of sociodemographic and economic characteristics. It investigates the extent to which arts engagement is perceived to be linked with feelings of social connectedness, which forms of arts engagement are reported as most connecting, and how. Data were collected via the HEartS Survey, a newly designed tool to capture arts engagement in the United Kingdom and its associations with social and mental health outcomes. Demographic and quantitative data, pertaining to the extent to which arts engagement is perceived to be linked with social connectedness, were analysed descriptively. Qualitative data pertaining to respondents’ perceptions of how arts engagement is linked with feelings of social connectedness were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsResults demonstrated that the majority of respondents (82%) perceive their arts engagement to be linked with feelings of social connectedness at least some of the time. The forms of arts engagement most linked with feelings of social connectedness were attending a live music performance, watching a live theatre performance, and watching a film or drama at the cinema or other venue. Four overarching themes characterise how arts engagement is perceived to facilitate feelings of social connectedness: social opportunities, sharing, commonality and belonging, and collective understanding.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that arts engagement can support social connectedness among adults in the UK through multiple pathways, providing large-scale evidence of the important role that the arts can play in supporting social public health.