There are two main ways to address loneliness, on an individual level and a societal level. Personality psychology tends to focus on the individual level, while social psychology focuses on the societal level. Depending on the type of loneliness a person is experiencing, one approach may be more beneficial than the other. For example, if the loneliness is emotional (lack of close emotional bonds with others), the issue may be more of an individual issue. Whereas, with social loneliness (lack of a social web), the issue may be more of a situational or societal problem.
Personality Psychology: Individual Solutions to Loneliness
Personality psychology focuses on equipping people with the interpersonal tools to transcend their loneliness. According …show more content…
This approach focuses on providing social support and increasing opportunities for social interaction (Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2010). Two ways that this is done is through creating opportunities for people to work together and restructuring social environments. With the first method, Aronson et al. implemented a “jigsaw classroom” technique for elementary schools (1978). Children were put into small groups and each given an individual topic to learn about and teach to their group. This model reduced social isolation and increased children’s friendliness towards peers. Hochchild (1973) describes another model in which elderly adults living in a housing complex in San Francisco were invited to work together on philanthropic projects, such as making dolls for a nearby orphanage and fundraising for a women’s club. These projects helped to alleviate social loneliness by facilitating the development of residents’ social …show more content…
It shortens life and lessens its quality. But the research also makes it clear that healing is both possible and practical. Christianity also offers a solution to loneliness: community. Before there was any research on the effects of loneliness on health or well-being, Christ had already denounced loneliness as harmful and lifted up community as essential. In Genesis 2:18 (New International Version), God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” In Matthew 18:20, Christ says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am among them.” In Acts 2:44, it says that the unity of the believers was so profound that they had everything in common. Furthermore, Christians are called to be a part of one body: there should be no isolation in us (Romans 12:4-5). There has not been a lot of research on the interplay between belief in Christ and loneliness. However, Le Roux found that there was a significant negative relationship between faith and loneliness. Frequent prayer, regular church attendance, and having a strong relationship with Christ were all negative predictors of loneliness. This finding is consistent with what would be expected because as faith in Christ increases, community ties should also
Personality Psychology: Individual Solutions to Loneliness
Personality psychology focuses on equipping people with the interpersonal tools to transcend their loneliness. According …show more content…
This approach focuses on providing social support and increasing opportunities for social interaction (Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2010). Two ways that this is done is through creating opportunities for people to work together and restructuring social environments. With the first method, Aronson et al. implemented a “jigsaw classroom” technique for elementary schools (1978). Children were put into small groups and each given an individual topic to learn about and teach to their group. This model reduced social isolation and increased children’s friendliness towards peers. Hochchild (1973) describes another model in which elderly adults living in a housing complex in San Francisco were invited to work together on philanthropic projects, such as making dolls for a nearby orphanage and fundraising for a women’s club. These projects helped to alleviate social loneliness by facilitating the development of residents’ social …show more content…
It shortens life and lessens its quality. But the research also makes it clear that healing is both possible and practical. Christianity also offers a solution to loneliness: community. Before there was any research on the effects of loneliness on health or well-being, Christ had already denounced loneliness as harmful and lifted up community as essential. In Genesis 2:18 (New International Version), God says, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” In Matthew 18:20, Christ says, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am among them.” In Acts 2:44, it says that the unity of the believers was so profound that they had everything in common. Furthermore, Christians are called to be a part of one body: there should be no isolation in us (Romans 12:4-5). There has not been a lot of research on the interplay between belief in Christ and loneliness. However, Le Roux found that there was a significant negative relationship between faith and loneliness. Frequent prayer, regular church attendance, and having a strong relationship with Christ were all negative predictors of loneliness. This finding is consistent with what would be expected because as faith in Christ increases, community ties should also