Lonely people see the world differently: A new study confirms

Lonely people are well-aware that their point of view often differs from what other people think and see, but now we have a proof.

A new study shows how lonely people are actually wired differently in some ways.

Let's find out more.

An unusual study

Loneliness has been linked to unique and idiosyncratic brain processing patterns, according to a study led by Elisa Baek from USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. 

The study involved 66 college students who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while watching videos. 

Participants were divided into lonely and non-lonely groups based on a loneliness survey. 

The fMRI scans revealed that lonely individuals exhibited dissimilar and idiosyncratic brain processing compared to non-lonely individuals. 

This finding suggests that neural similarity, crucial for social connections, is lacking among lonely individuals. 

They are also different from each other

Interestingly, lonely individuals also differ from one another, which further impacts their feelings of isolation. 

Regardless of the number of friends or social connections, individuals with high levels of loneliness showed more idiosyncratic brain responses. 

This implies that being surrounded by individuals with different perspectives may increase the risk of loneliness. 

Society is more complicated than we thought

The study sheds light on the fluctuating nature of social connections and their influence on how individuals perceive the world. 

Further research will explore lonely individuals with active social lives and investigate specific situations in which lonely individuals display idiosyncratic processing.
 

• Related news:
• research
• loneliness
• personality
• 7 July 2023

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