Huang Chengli, Butterworth James W, Finley Anna J, Angus Douglas J, Sedikides Constantine, Kelley Nicholas J
Centre for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Institute on Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
J Pers. 2025 Feb;93(1):155-173. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12876. Epub 2023 Aug 14.
What are the motivational underpinnings of solitude? We know from self-report studies that increases in solitude are associated with drops in approach motivation and rises in avoidance motivation, but only when solitude is experienced as non-self-determined (i.e., non-autonomous). However, the extent to which individual differences in solitude relate to neurophysiological markers of approach-avoidance motivation derived from resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) is unknown. These markers are Frontal Alpha Asymmetry, beta suppression, and midline Posterior versus Frontal EEG Theta Activity.
We assessed the relation among individual differences in the reasons for solitude (i.e., preference for solitude, motivation for solitude), approach-avoidance motivation, and resting-state EEG markers of approach-avoidance motivation (N = 115).
General preference for solitude was negatively related to approach motivation, observed in both self-reported measures and EEG markers of approach motivation. Self-determined solitude was positively related to both self-reported approach motivation and avoidance motivation in the social domain (i.e., friendship). Non-self-determined solitude was positively associated with self-reported avoidance motivation.
This research was a preliminary attempt to address the neurophysiological underpinnings of solitude in the context of motivation.
独处的动机基础是什么？我们从自我报告研究中了解到，独处的增加与趋近动机的下降和回避动机的上升有关，但这仅在独处被体验为非自我决定（即非自主）时才成立。然而，独处中的个体差异与源自静息态脑电图（EEG）的趋近-回避动机的神经生理标志物之间的关联程度尚不清楚。这些标志物包括额叶α不对称性、β抑制以及中线后部与额叶脑电图θ活动。
我们评估了独处原因（即对独处的偏好、独处动机）的个体差异、趋近-回避动机以及趋近-回避动机的静息态EEG标志物之间的关系（N = 115）。
对独处的总体偏好与趋近动机呈负相关，这在自我报告测量和趋近动机的EEG标志物中均有观察到。自我决定的独处与社会领域（即友谊）中自我报告的趋近动机和回避动机均呈正相关。非自我决定的独处与自我报告的回避动机呈正相关。
本研究是在动机背景下探讨独处的神经生理基础的初步尝试。
