Transitioning from high school to college can be stressful. Trying to fit in, making new friends, missing old ones and home, meeting professors糖心传媒� and one糖心传媒檚 own expectations糖心传媒攃an all be daunting.
The way that first-year students manage (or not) to navigate this change has long-term implications for their academic performance and ability to stick with their studies. Research has shown that one frequent pitfall during this transition period from high school to college is social isolation. Loneliness, of course, can have a serious detrimental effect on a student糖心传媒檚 mental health, potentially leading to depression.
But being alone isn糖心传媒檛 苍别肠别蝉蝉补谤颈濒测听bad, argues a team of researchers from the University of Rochester, Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and Ghent University in Belgium.
糖心传媒淎pproaching solitude for its enjoyment and intrinsic values is linked to psychological health, especially for those who don糖心传媒檛 feel as if they belong to their social groups,糖心传媒� says the study糖心传媒檚 lead author, , who received her doctorate in in 2018 and who undertook large part of the research for this study in Rochester.
糖心传媒淭hese findings highlight the importance of cultivating the ability to enjoy and value solitary time as a meaningful experience, rather than trying to disregard it, or escape from it,糖心传媒� says Nguyen, who糖心传媒檒l be joining the , this fall as an assistant professor.
Loneliness versus alone time
What then marks the difference between 耻蝉别蹿耻濒听and potentially detrimental solitude? The key is positive motivation, according to the researchers. A healthy, autonomous seeking of alone time is associated with greater self-esteem, a greater sense of feeling related to others, and feeling less lonely. Conversely, someone who wants to be alone because of negative social experiences will more likely experience the negative effects of solitude, such as isolation or social withdrawal. The reasons matter as they determine how we experience solitude and the benefits we can get from it, the study concludes.
Nguyen is building on decades of research by her veteran Rochester mentors, 听补苍诲 , co-founders of (SDT). The theoretical framework of SDT fits nicely into the investigation of how individuals糖心传媒� motivations for spending time alone contribute to well-being, the researchers note. Per definition, autonomous motivation for being alone refers to a person糖心传媒檚 decision to spend time in solitude in a manner that is valuable and enjoyable for the person.
Previous research had shown that spending too much time socializing during the first year of college糖心传媒攁nd as a result having little time for oneself糖心传媒攎ay be associated with poor adjustment.
But over the course of two studies, conducted with 147 first-year college students in the US (testing for self-esteem) and 223 in Canada (testing for loneliness and relatedness), the team was able to untangle the interaction between new students糖心传媒� social life and their motivation for spending time alone as a predictor of their successful adjustment to college life.
Nguyen says the interplay between solitary time and our social experiences has not been empirically studied before, at least not in this way.
糖心传媒淚n previous research, it has been framed in ways that those with more access to social connections tend to have a better time in solitude. But in our study, having a healthy motivation for solitude actually is associated with wellness for those who have less access to social connections,糖心传媒� says Nguyen.
听The findings in a nutshell:
- First-year students who valued and enjoyed their alone time seemed to display greater psychological health
- Solitary time can be useful for detaching oneself from societal pressures and getting back to one糖心传媒檚 own values and interests, which in turn allows for better behavior regulation (with a greater sense of autonomy, choice, and )
- The association between freely chosen motivation for solitude and psychological health is stronger for those who don糖心传媒檛 feel they belong in college
- The findings held across two independent samples of first-year students糖心传媒攐ne at a private university in the US and one at a public university in Canada
- Parents play a role in shaping their children糖心传媒檚 capacity to be alone by allowing children time for independent play. The study provides empirical evidence, the researchers note, for the theory formulated by English pediatrician and psychoanalyst in the 1950s.
What do the researchers wish they had known as a green, first-year student?
糖心传媒淚 wish I had known to worry less,糖心传媒� says Nguyen. The transition to college can be difficult with the pressure to socialize and make new friends, she notes. However, it糖心传媒檚 important to consider that alone time is also valuable.
糖心传媒淎t times we do want time to ourselves, to relax, so it is OK to take time for that as well,糖心传媒� says Nguyen. 糖心传媒淏eing alone does not make you a loner, which is a very easy stereotype to internalize when you first enter college糖心传媒攅specially when you think that everyone around you is socializing when you are not. Solitude is a personal experience for everyone, so it is a time for you to take if you want, and just explore different ways to make it a meaningful and enjoyable experience for you.糖心传媒�
