Emotion Dynamics of Solitude: How Spending Time Alone Affects the Way We Experience and Manage Affect

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Creator: 

Hipson, William

Date: 

2021

Abstract: 

Whether we are meeting friends or scrolling through social media, we spend most of our time entrenched in social activity. This is not surprising, as people tend to happier when they are with others. But is it possible that spending time alone can also make us feel better in some situations? The goal of this dissertation is to explore how solitude affects the way we experience and regulate emotions in daily life. Through the lens of emotion dynamics, solitude is conceptualized as a context in which emotions are deactivated, such that solitude helps reduce heightened emotional arousal (e.g., stress, excitation). However, the effects of solitude on emotions may be different depending on how one spends their time alone and their dispositions toward solitude. This dissertation research uses a Bayesian approach to explore the situational and individual factors that underlie the emotion dynamics of solitude.

Subject: 

Psychology - Social
Psychology - Personality
Psychology - Developmental

Language: 

English

Publisher: 

Carleton University

Thesis Degree Name: 

Doctor of Philosophy: 
Ph.D.

Thesis Degree Level: 

Doctoral

Thesis Degree Discipline: 

Psychology

Parent Collection: 

Theses and Dissertations

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