Experiences of Solitude

Averill, James R.; Sundararajan, Louise

doi:10.1002/9781118427378.ch6

Cited by 20 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…To the extent that the capacity for absence is essential for the expansion of ontological parity, an enabling condition would be solitude, in which reduced external stimuli can make it easier to escape the capture of the physically present cues of conventional categories. This is consistent with Averill and Sundararajan’s (2014) theory of authentic solitude, which is associated with perceived closeness with others as well as with oneself. Averill and colleagues developed an empirically validated Solitude Scale (Wang, 2006), which can be used for illustration here.…”

Section: The Principle Of Ontological Paritysupporting

confidence: 90%

“…The manipulation check included self-report on one essential element of Langerian mindfulness (Langer, 2000), namely, engagement with the task. Since solitude also facilitates the capacity for absence, the theory of authentic solitude (Averill & Sundararajan, 2014) provided the parameter of outcome measures. The only change we made in the current study was the inclusion of two more measures: a Mood Scale was added as an outcome measure for emotional well-being; a When Alone scale was added to measure trait parity.…”

Section: Expanding Ontological Parity Via Primingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Expanding our kind: A pan-cultural study of the animistic principle of ontological parity.

Sundararajan¹,

Wu²,

Ho³

et al. 2022

The Humanistic Psychologist

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Conducted in four societies-Taiwan, India, Mainland China, and the United States-this pancultural study extended and replicated a previous finding, with Iranian samples, of the possibility and benefits of expanding our "kind" via priming. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is explained through the principle of ontological parity. Derived from animism as articulated in Chinese folk beliefs, ontological parity refers to perceived sameness in being, a quality that is believed to be expandable. This formulation broadens the conceptual scope of intimacy thereby allow for novel hypothesis testing. It was predicted and found that experimentally expanding ontological parity to nonhuman and nonliving elements of nature was associated with increase in relational solitude, and decrease in negative emotions, especially anger and fear. Far-reaching implications of this investigation, ranging from the possibility of intimacy in solitude to morality and the human machine interface, are discussed.

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Section: The Principle Of Ontological Paritysupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Expanding Ontological Parity Via Primingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding our kind: A pan-cultural study of the animistic principle of ontological parity.

Sundararajan¹,

Wu²,

Ho³

et al. 2022

The Humanistic Psychologist

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“…Loneliness is caused by a lack of social relationships, which is a subjective experience felt alongside discomfort ( Peplau & Perlman, 1982 ), having a negative impact on physical and mental health ( Cacioppo et al, 2000 ). Loneliness is considered an inhibitor of SWB ( Windle & Woods, 2004 ) and is related to experience feeling negative affect when people spent time alone ( Averill & Sundararajan, 2014 ). On the other hand, preference for solitude does not necessarily imply a morbid condition resulting from loneliness ( Hoppmann et al, 2021 ), even though it has something in common with loneliness and a possible bidirectional relationship with SWB.…”

Section: Preference For Solitude and Swbmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Solitude includes positive aspects related to creative activity and maintaining privacy, in addition to negative aspects regarding feelings of loneliness ( Long et al, 2003 ). Spending time alone is categorized in two ways: whether a person feels related to others or not—“Relational” and “Nonrelational”—with the latter type connecting to the feeling of isolation or loneliness ( Averill & Sundararajan, 2014 ). Studies showed that a person who reported a higher preference for solitude did not tend to be “Nonrelational” when they isolated objectively and found value in solitude ( Long & Averill, 2003 ).…”

Section: Preference For Solitude Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the Relationship Between Preference for Solitude and Subjective Well-Being Among Japanese Older Adults

Toyoshima

Kusumi

2021

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives Focusing on the fact that older adults with positive emotions tend to spend time alone, this study aimed to examine the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being among older adults. In Study 1, we developed a revised version of the Preference for Solitude Scale with a three-factor structure, unlike the single-factor structure of the original scale. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being using the revised scale. Research Design and Methods We conducted an Internet survey with 210 older adults in Study 1 to develop a revised Japanese scale. In Study 2, to address the possible research method bias in Study 1, we conducted a mail survey with 276 older adults. We examined the replicability of Study 1, confirming metric invariance through multi-group analysis and hypothesis model through path analysis. Results The results of the path analysis indicated that “Productivity during solitude” (Factor 3) was positively related with positive affect and life satisfaction, and “Enjoyment of solitude” (Factor 2) was negatively related with negative affect. However, the results of the mediation analysis suggested that preference for solitude was also related to loneliness, and the indirect effect of preference for solitude on well-being was negative. Discussion and Implications “Enjoyment of solitude” and “Productivity during solitude” were related to maintaining subjective well-being among older adults, although the effects were marginal. The impact of preference for solitude was mixed in enhancing and decreasing subjective well-being.

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“…Less well known to the West is the pivotal contribution of hermits to civilizations in Asia. Hermits are individuals who moved away from the crowd and chose to subsist at the margins of society (Averill & Sundararajan, 2014). Contrary to the herd mentality stereotypes spawned by collectivism, hermits embody a well-established tradition of social nonconformity and independent thinking in Asia since antiquity.…”

Section: The Social Norm Account Of Asian Creativitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Revolutionary creativity, East and West: A critique from indigenous psychology.

Sundararajan¹,

Raina²

2015

Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology

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Why are Asians deficient in radical, revolutionary creativity, as experts are telling us? Our analysis suggests that the problem lies not in collectivism so much as in the biased sampling of cross-culture psychology that renders certain phenomena of non-Western creativity invisible. More specifically, we argue that cross-cultural comparisons of creativity are prone to the forecast asymmetry of overestimating the influence of social norms on creativity, thereby failing to take into consideration the fact that creativity entails a choice at the individual level even in collectivistic cultures. To counterbalance the population forecast of cross-cultural psychology, we offer a matched comparison of revolutionary creativity, informed by perspectives from indigenous psychology. Implications of this analysis for cross-cultural psychology, and future research directions for the indigenous psychology of Asian creativity, are discussed.

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Experiences of Solitude

Cited by 20 publications

References 13 publications

Expanding our kind: A pan-cultural study of the animistic principle of ontological parity.

Expanding our kind: A pan-cultural study of the animistic principle of ontological parity.

Examining the Relationship Between Preference for Solitude and Subjective Well-Being Among Japanese Older Adults

Revolutionary creativity, East and West: A critique from indigenous psychology.

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