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Outputs (15)

Investigating solitude as a tool for downregulation of daily arousal using ecological momentary assessments (2024)
Journal Article
Nguyen, T. T., Konu, D., & Forbes, S. (2024). Investigating solitude as a tool for downregulation of daily arousal using ecological momentary assessments. Journal of Personality, https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12939

Objective: This research explored arousal levels as a motivating factor for solitude‐seeking. We hypothesized that solitude becomes more desirable when high‐arousal emotions were heightened and individual differences in extraversion and neuroticism w... Read More about Investigating solitude as a tool for downregulation of daily arousal using ecological momentary assessments.

Balance between solitude and socializing: everyday solitude time both benefits and harms well-being (2023)
Journal Article
Weinstein, N., Vuorre, M., Adams, M., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Balance between solitude and socializing: everyday solitude time both benefits and harms well-being. Scientific Reports, 13(1), Article 21160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44507-7

Two literatures argue that time alone is harmful (i.e., isolation) and valuable (i.e., positive solitude). We explored whether people benefit from a balance between their daily solitude and social time, such that having ‘right’ quantities of both max... Read More about Balance between solitude and socializing: everyday solitude time both benefits and harms well-being.

Who feels good in solitude? A qualitative analysis of the personality and mindset factors relating to well‐being when alone (2023)
Journal Article
Weinstein, N., Hansen, H., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Who feels good in solitude? A qualitative analysis of the personality and mindset factors relating to well‐being when alone. European Journal of Social Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2983

What leads to peaceful and enjoyable solitude? Little is known about which personality and mindset qualities benefit individuals during time spent alone. The current study was designed to build a foundation for future quantitative and qualitative res... Read More about Who feels good in solitude? A qualitative analysis of the personality and mindset factors relating to well‐being when alone.

Solitude profiles and psychological adjustment in Chinese late adolescence: a person-centered research (2023)
Journal Article
Zhou, T., Liao, L., Nguyen, T. T., Li, D., & Liu, J. (2023). Solitude profiles and psychological adjustment in Chinese late adolescence: a person-centered research. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, Article 1173441. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1173441

Objectives: From the perspective of person-centered research, the present study aimed to identify the potential profiles of solitude among late adolescents based on their solitary behavior, motivation, attitude, and time alone. In addition, to echo t... Read More about Solitude profiles and psychological adjustment in Chinese late adolescence: a person-centered research.

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)
Journal Article
Legate, N., Nguyen, T., Weinstein, N., Moller, A., Legault, L., Vally, Z., …Primbs, M. A. (2022). A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(22), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2111091119

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses c... Read More about A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life (2022)
Journal Article
Weinstein, N., Hansen, H., & Nguyen, T. (2023). Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 49(12), https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221115941

Abstract What does it mean to be in solitude? Researchers building this nascent field are learning much about the potential affordances of solitude, but lack an agreed-upon definition or set of definitions. Arriving at that meaning is crucial to form... Read More about Definitions of Solitude in Everyday Life.

Building bonds: A pre-registered secondary data analysis examining linear and curvilinear relations between socio-economic status and communal attitudes (2022)
Journal Article
Weick, M., Couturier, L., Vasiljevic, M., Ross, P., Cory, C., Crisp, R., …Van de Vyver, J. (2022). Building bonds: A pre-registered secondary data analysis examining linear and curvilinear relations between socio-economic status and communal attitudes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 102, Article 104353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104353

A large body of research points to differences in the communal orientation of people from a lower and higher socio-economic status (SES) background. However, direct evidence for differences in communal attitudes remains scant. In this pre-registered... Read More about Building bonds: A pre-registered secondary data analysis examining linear and curvilinear relations between socio-economic status and communal attitudes.

Who enjoys solitude? autonomous functioning (but not introversion) predicts self-determined motivation (but not preference) for solitude (2022)
Journal Article
Nguyen, T. T., Weinstein, N., & Ryan, R. M. (2022). Who enjoys solitude? autonomous functioning (but not introversion) predicts self-determined motivation (but not preference) for solitude. PLoS ONE, 17(5), Article e0267185. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267185

Within the solitude literature, two discrete constructs reflect different perspectives on how time spent alone is motivated. Self-determined motivation for solitude reflects wanting time alone to find enjoyment and gain meaningful benefits from it, w... Read More about Who enjoys solitude? autonomous functioning (but not introversion) predicts self-determined motivation (but not preference) for solitude.

Alone With Our Thoughts: Investigation of Autonomy Supportive Framing as a Driver of Enjoyment During Quiet Time in Solitude (2022)
Journal Article
Nguyen, T., Weinstein, N., & Deci, E. (2022). Alone With Our Thoughts: Investigation of Autonomy Supportive Framing as a Driver of Enjoyment During Quiet Time in Solitude. Collabra: Psychology, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.31629

Sitting alone with one’s thoughts could foster a sense of rest and relaxation, yet many find this activity difficult. In two preregistered experiments (Study 1: n = 266, Study 2: n = 369), we focused on autonomy-supportive and controlling framings of... Read More about Alone With Our Thoughts: Investigation of Autonomy Supportive Framing as a Driver of Enjoyment During Quiet Time in Solitude.

What Time Alone Offers: Narratives of Solitude From Adolescence to Older Adulthood (2021)
Journal Article
Weinstein, N., Nguyen, T., & Hansen, H. (2021). What Time Alone Offers: Narratives of Solitude From Adolescence to Older Adulthood. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 714518. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.714518

Solitude – the state of being alone and not physically with another – can be rewarding. The present research explored the potential benefits of solitude from a pragmatist approach: a ground-up, top-down perspective that is receptive to new knowledge... Read More about What Time Alone Offers: Narratives of Solitude From Adolescence to Older Adulthood.

A COVID-19 descriptive study of life after lockdown in Wuhan, China (2020)
Journal Article
Zhou, T., Nguyen, T. T., Zhong, J., & Liu, J. (2020). A COVID-19 descriptive study of life after lockdown in Wuhan, China. Royal Society Open Science, 7(9), Article 200705. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200705

On 8 April 2020, the Chinese government lifted the lockdown and opened up public transportation in Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. After 76 days in lockdown, Wuhan residents were allowed to travel outside of the city and go back... Read More about A COVID-19 descriptive study of life after lockdown in Wuhan, China.

Motivation and preference in isolation: a test of their different influences on responses to self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak (2020)
Journal Article
Weinstein, N., & Nguyen, T. (2020). Motivation and preference in isolation: a test of their different influences on responses to self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak. Royal Society Open Science, 7(5), Article 200458. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.200458

This multi-wave study examined the extent that both preference and motivation for time alone shapes ill-being during self-isolation. Individuals in the USA and the UK are self-isolating in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Different motivations may... Read More about Motivation and preference in isolation: a test of their different influences on responses to self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Embracing me-time: Motivation for solitude during transition to college (2019)
Journal Article
Nguyen, T. T., Werner, K. M., & Soenens, B. (2019). Embracing me-time: Motivation for solitude during transition to college. Motivation and Emotion, 43(4), 571-591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-019-09759-9

The present research examined the role of university students’ motivation for spending time alone in their adjustment to college life, as well as the parenting correlates of students’ healthy motivation for solitude. Two studies were conducted on fir... Read More about Embracing me-time: Motivation for solitude during transition to college.

Solitude as an Approach to Affective Self-Regulation (2017)
Journal Article
Nguyen, T. T., Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Solitude as an Approach to Affective Self-Regulation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(1), 92-106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217733073

In this research, we showed that solitude generally has a deactivation effect on people’s affective experiences, decreasing both positive and negative high-arousal affects. In Study 1, we found that the deactivation effect occurred when people were a... Read More about Solitude as an Approach to Affective Self-Regulation.