Loneliness and belonging

Separates a good session from lasting belonging, with trial designs to borrow.

Region: Groups and culture
Distance: Middle
Studies a mechanism a circle relies on, mostly outside live relating.
Scale: One person · A small group (3–12) · Institutions and society
Researchers to read first: Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Catherine Haslam and Tegan Cruwys
Where they meet: European Association of Social Psychology · Society

3 works from this field, lit on the map

Moves it sheds light on

Our reading. None of these fields tests a move inside a circle.

Connection
Tests whether a programme that builds people’s group memberships reduces loneliness.
Haslam et al. · 2019

GROUPS 4 HEALTH reduces loneliness and social anxiety in adults with psychological distress: Findings from a randomized controlled trial.
Haslam et al. · 2019
Randomised trial120 adults experiencing psychological distressCautions: Studied by its developers · Self-report only
Connection Heals Wounds: Feeling Listened to Reduces Speakers’ Loneliness Following a Social Rejection Disclosure
Itzchakov et al. · 2023
Experiment1,643 participants across five experimentsCautions: Self-report only · No later follow-up
Reducing Loneliness through the Power of Practicing Together: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Dyadic Socio-Emotional vs. Mindfulness-Based Training
Matthaeus et al. · 2024
Randomised trial253 adultsCautions: Studied by its developers · Commercial interest · Same study as another entry · Self-report only · No later follow-up