The Handbook of Solitude
Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone
Second Edition
Edited by
Robert J. Coplan
Carleton University
Ottawa, ON
Canada
Julie C. Bowker
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Buffalo, NY
USA
Larry J. Nelson
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
USA
This edition first published 2021
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Edition History John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1e, 2014)
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Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Coplan, Robert J., 1967– editor. | Bowker, Julie C., editor. | Nelson, Larry J., editor. | Wiley‐Blackwell (Firm), publisher.
Title: The handbook of solitude : psychological perspectives on social isolation, social withdrawal, and being alone / edited by Robert J. Coplan, Julie C. Bowker, Larry J. Nelson.
Description: Second edition. | Hoboken, NJ : Wiley‐Blackwell, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021006669 (print) | LCCN 2021006670 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119576389 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119576426 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119576853 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Solitude. | Social isolation. | Loneliness.
Classification: LCC BF637.S64 H36 2021 (print) | LCC BF637.S64 (ebook) | DDC 155.9/2–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006669 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021006670
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: © kasayizgi/Getty Images
1 Alone Again: Revisiting Psychological Perspectives on Solitude
Robert J. Coplan1, Julie C. Bowker2, and Larry J. Nelson3
1Carleton University, Canada
2University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, USA
3Brigham Young University, USA
Editors’ Note: Solitude in the Time of COVID‐19
Almost all the chapters for the second edition of the Handbook of Solitude were written before anyone had heard of COVID‐19. The catastrophic implications of this global pandemic will be felt for years to come. Among the immediate effects of the lockdowns that were instituted in countries around the world to combat the spread of the virus, millions of individuals were thrust into unwanted solitude, or confined to home environments where, for various reasons, it was almost impossible to find a moment to spend alone. At the time of this writing, it is still not clear how long such conditions will continue. Never has it been more important to consider the causes and consequences of solitude for our well‐being and mental health. We are hopeful that the new edition of this volume contributes a wide range of informed perspectives to these ongoing discussions.
Rob Coplan, Julie Bowker, and Larry Nelson
Alone Again: Revisiting Psychological Perspectives on Solitude
The experience of solitude is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Over the course of the life span, humans experience solitude for many different reasons and subjectively respond to solitude with a wide range of reactions and consequences. Some people may retreat to solitude as a respite from the stresses of life, for quiet contemplation, to foster creative impulses, or to commune with nature. Others may suffer the pain and loneliness of social isolation, withdrawing or being forcefully excluded from social interactions.
These exemplars illustrate the complex nature of solitude and its relation to well‐being – and speak to what has been deemed the paradox of solitude. Indeed, theorists and researchers haver highlighted several different paradoxical aspects of solitude over the years, including: (1) despite the widely held beliefs that solitude serves self‐enhancing functions, it is often experienced as unwelcome and painful; (2) time alone can serve as both a reward (“me time”) and a punishment (time outs, solitary confinement); (3) solitude is viewed as both normative as well as a cause and consequence of psychopathology; (4) time alone can both interfere with and improve our relationships with others; and, as we will discuss in some detail herein; (5) solitude can simultaneously confer both