This study tested the psychological effects of a self-affirmation intervention (Steele, 1988) on offenders (i.e., "responsible parties") undergoing restorative justice. We randomly assigned 116 participants in restorative justice to write for ten minutes about either their values (self-affirmation condition) or a neutral control topic. Participants next completed measures of two mediator variables: self-integrity and existential connection, and three dependent variables: responsibility taking, perspective taking, and contract readiness. Compared to controls, those in the values-affirmation condition reported higher contract readiness and perspective taking, but not higher responsibility taking. The effect of self-affirmation on contract readiness was mediated by self-integrity but not by existential connection. The effect of self-affirmation on perspective taking was mediated by existential connection but not by self-integrity. Self-affirmation's mechanisms may vary based on the outcome at hand. Restorative justice practitioners might incorporate values-affirmation into the process to foster empathy and motivation among responsible parties.

Introduction: Across two studies, we examined the relationship between cumulative experiences of trauma, existential isolation (the felt sense of feeling alone with regard to one's experience of reality), psychological distress, and suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that as the amount of trauma people have experienced increases, so too does their existential isolation. We further hypothesized that the existential isolation associated with trauma would mediate the relationship between trauma and psychological distress. Method: Study 1 included n = 629 undergraduate participants who completed self-report measures of personal experience with interpersonally traumatic events, existential isolation, loneliness, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation. Study 2 included n = 937 adult participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk who completed measures of the same constructs, as well as an expanded trauma checklist that included both interpersonal and non-interpersonal forms of trauma. Mediation analyses were conducted in both studies to test the hypothesized relationships. Results: Both studies revealed that cumulative trauma correlates positively with existential isolation, even when controlling for loneliness. Moreover, this association between trauma and existential isolation mediates the relationship between trauma and depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. Study 2 establishes that this relationship exists both for traumas that implicate other people as well as for noninterpersonal traumas. Discussion: The findings across two studies indicate that existential isolation plays a significant role in the relationship between cumulative trauma exposure and psychological distress, and that this is true regardless of whether the traumas are of an interpersonal variety or not. This research highlights the importance of addressing existential concerns in trauma treatment strategies.

BACKGROUND:Loneliness and social isolation are linked to increased morbidity and mortality, with health risks comparable to sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition. Promoting social connection has therefore become a global public health priority. Evidence-based guidelines could help raise awareness of the health impacts of disconnection, shape individual behaviors, and inform community programs and policies. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to develop recommended public health guidelines for social connection using a Delphi methodology. METHODS:Experts from diverse subfields of Psychology were recruited through networks, nominations, and targeted invitations. In Round 1, open-text responses identified key principles and potential guidelines for individuals and communities. A grounded thematic analysis synthesized these responses into draft guidelines. In subsequent rounds, experts rated their support for each statement. Guidelines with ≥80 % expert endorsement were refined through focus groups. RESULTS:The final product included 12 guidelines: six for individuals and six for communities. Community guidelines focus on: (1) raising awareness of connection, (2) supporting social-emotional development, (3) prioritizing social health in policy, (4) designing connection-friendly environments, (5) promoting accessibility and inclusion, and (6) measuring social wellbeing. Individual guidelines emphasize: (1) making connection a lifelong priority, (2) cultivating a positive social outlook, (3) building diverse networks, (4) prioritizing meaningful interactions, (5) developing new relationships, and (6) using technology wisely. CONCLUSIONS:These expert-informed guidelines may serve as a framework for advancing individual and population-level efforts to strengthen social wellbeing.

Loneliness and social isolation harm mental and physical health, yet existing public health strategies often fail to reflect the lived realities of equity-owed communities. To address this gap, our team has been developing potential public health guidelines aimed at fostering social connection in Canada. This study sought to engage five communities facing structural inequities (i.e. 2S/LGBTQ+ individuals, racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, and migrants/immigrants/refugees) in reviewing and refining draft public health guidelines. Specifically, we conducted 12 focus groups and 11 one-on-one interviews with 60 participants. During these interviews, we presented our guidelines to the participants, explored their lived experiences of social connection in relation to the guidelines, and elicited direct feedback on how the guidelines could be improved to address unique barriers and facilitators in these communities. Through thematic analysis of these data, we characterized participants' perspectives relating to their (i) identity and belonging, (ii) safety and accessibility, (iii) structural and economic resources, (iv) the role of family, (v) social interactions shaped by discrimination, and (vi) recognized health impacts on social connection. Participants' perspectives highlighted the complex interplay of cultural identity, discrimination, financial constraints, and unmet accessibility needs that limit meaningful social engagement. Their feedback identified specific ways to ensure that newly developed guidelines for social connection address critical equity concerns, including improved cultural relevance, accessibility, and community-level supports. These consultations offer clear guidance on tailoring social connection recommendations to the realities of equity-owed groups, underscoring the importance of structured community engagement in guideline development. Integrating these community-informed insights will help shape public health guidelines that are equitable, inclusive, and responsive to diverse lived experiences.

Background and purposeFormerly incarcerated people die by suicide at a rate 6.75 times higher than the general population. In this study we ask whether existential isolation, the feeling of being alone in one's subjective experiences, offers new insights into this staggering statistic. We specifically ask whether existential isolation predicts suicidal ideation among formerly incarcerated individuals even after accounting for their levels of interpersonal isolation, emotional support, and instrumental support.MethodWe examined cross-sectional survey data from American participants (n = 946) recruited over the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform.ResultsConsistent with prediction, we found that people with an incarceration history reported more existential isolation, but not more interpersonal isolation, than those without an incarceration history. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that existential isolation explained additional variance in suicidal ideation beyond what was explained by interpersonal isolation, instrumental support, and emotional support. Fisher's r-to-z transformations demonstrated that the magnitude of the relationship between existential isolation and suicidal ideation was stronger among those with an incarceration history than among those without. Finally, existential isolation mediated the relationship between incarceration and suicidal thoughts, even when holding constant other predictors of suicidal ideation.ConclusionReentry programs may target existential isolation among formerly incarcerated individuals to improve emotional wellbeing.

Introduction: Research implicates social isolation as a risk factor for problematic alcohol use. However, no known research examines the role that a specific type of social isolation—existential isolation, a feeling of being alone in one's subjective experience of reality—plays in alcohol consumption. In sociocultural contexts where alcohol consumption is normative, existentially isolated individuals may seek out alcohol as a method for experiencing more existential connection. The opposite may also hold true: those who do not partake in the normative, alcohol-drinking culture may “pay the price” with higher levels of existential isolation. This study examined which of these two possible correlations between existential isolation and alcohol use the data support. Methods: In Study 1, we recruited 511 adult participants from Amazon MTurk. We then conducted a regression analysis to examine the unique predictive effects of existential isolation, gender, interpersonal isolation, and a gender × existential isolation interaction on alcohol consumption. Next, we examined whether existential motives mediated the relationship between existential isolation and alcohol use. In Study 2, we recruited 99 adult undergraduate students to determine if the Study 1 findings replicated in a different sample and with different measures of interpersonal isolation. We additionally assessed whether alcohol accounted for self-reported changes in existential isolation before and 3 months after arrival at college. Results: Data from Study 1 revealed that controlling for interpersonal isolation, lower existential isolation levels predicted greater alcohol use and that desire to drink for existential connection accounted for this effect. Study 2 replicated these findings. We observed a significant negative correlation between existential isolation and alcohol use and a negative correlation between alcohol use and change in existential isolation over time. Discussion: Our findings suggest a potential disadvantage to sobriety and an existential risk pathway to problematic alcohol use. We discuss the societal implications of these findings.

This study investigates the effects of an intensive Buddhist (Zen) meditation practice on reductions in existential isolation and increases in prosocial behavior. This study also examines whether the hypothesized reduction in existential isolation resulting from the intensive meditation practice predicts other-focused compassion. Study 1 utilized a quasi-experimental design to investigate the effects of meditation on existential isolation and other compassion by comparing healthy Koreans who completed a 7-day intensive silent Zen meditation (n = 35) with those who completed a 7-day vacation (n = 30). All participants completed measures twice: at baseline and after either their meditation retreat or their vacation. Study 2 used a longitudinal design to investigate whether Study 1 findings would replicate among 75 new TempleStay program participants. In Study 1, relative to participants in the vacation group, participants in the meditation group experienced reduced existential isolation and increased other-focused compassion from Time 1 to Time 2. Reductions in existential isolation mediated the increases in other-focused compassion. In Study 2, after a 1-week intensive meditation training, participants experienced a reduction in existential isolation and an increased in other-focused compassion; again, the reductions in existential isolation mediated increases in other-focused compassion. Across two studies, we found evidence of reduced existential isolation and increased other-focused compassion following an intensive Zen-meditation practice. These results indicate that meditation practice may help people who suffer from existential isolation, as well as the people with whom they interact.

Literature devoted to understanding the experiences of individuals who do not fit the cultural mold—those who belong to minority, stigmatized, or underrepresented groups—demonstrates that nonnormative status goes hand in hand with a range of negative outcomes. The current research considers a heretofore unstudied correlate of nonnormative status: existential isolation (the feeling of being alone in one’s subjective experience), which differs from feelings of interpersonal isolation (feeling alone with regard to the quantity or quality of one’s relationships). Normative, or mainstream, society may not acknowledge the experiences of those holding a nonnormative status, rendering such individuals at risk of developing heightened feelings of existential isolation. Across Studies 1a and 1b, we found consistently higher trait levels of existential isolation (but not interpersonal isolation) among people with a nonnormative group status than among their normative counterparts. This effect appeared whether we looked at nonnormativeness with regard to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, citizenship, native language, body weight, religious affiliation, or socioeconomic status. Study 2 highlights one correlate of the existential isolation that accompanies nonnormativeness: decreased certainty with respect to judgments of racism. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed, including addressing the correlational nature of this research and testing potential mechanisms to explain the link between nonnormative status and existential isolation.

The U.S. witnessed deep ideological rifts during the 2020 presidential election, with reverberations that continue to this day. Both the media reports and the research evidence reveal the passion with which people cling to their ideologies and the barriers to communication that people often erect between themselves and those who do not share their political viewpoints. Consider the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January 6, 2021, as an historical example of the vilification and disrespect that people express toward those with different viewpoints from their own. Here we test whether moments of shared subjective experience (i.e., I-sharing) can facilitate liking for politically different others, as well as more productive dialogue across political lines. Drawing from previous work on the intergroup implications of I-sharing, we predicted and found that I-sharing increased liking for one's interaction partner, irrespective of one's own political preferences and irrespective whether one's interaction partner shares those political preferences. In addition, I-sharing (relative to not I-sharing) promoted a greater sense among Biden supporters that they could have a productive dialogue with Trump supporters, although the parallel effect did not hold true for Trump supporters. The results point to the possibility that moments of I-sharing can get people with differing political views to, as Biden put it so simply on November seventh, 2020, "listen to each other again."

Background Living together harmoniously requires compromise. Research on the psychological factors that promote compromise frequently focuses on individual differences and interpersonal environment. The current research takes a different approach by asking what role I-sharing (i.e., the feeling that others share the same in-the-moment, subjective experience as oneself) plays in the success of a cohabiting couple's compromise efforts. Objective Drawing from work on the prosocial outcomes associated with I-sharing, we asked whether I-sharing with a stranger enhances couples' ability to compromise. Method Both members of a cohabiting couple privately reported the percentage of time they spend on household tasks (the Division of Household Labor inventory [DHL]) before undergoing a manipulation in which they either did or did not have an I-sharing experience with a stranger. Participants then completed the DHL again, this time working together with their cohabiting partner to reach a consensus in their responses. Finally, participants had another chance to complete the DHL in private, receiving the instruction to respond with their true beliefs. Results When relationship partners worked together to complete the DHL at the second reporting, their responses were identical. At the third (private) DHL reporting, consistent with prediction, couples assigned to the I-share condition showed more agreement with their partner than couples assigned to the No I-share condition. Conclusion This finding suggests that the prosociality generated by I-sharing can promote compromise in cohabiting couples. Implications I-sharing holds promise as a therapeutic tool to promote compromise in treatment-seeking families and couples.

People exhibit a strong need for belief validation, which they meet by sharing reality with others. Here, we examine the hypothesis that existential isolation - feeling alone in one's experiences - interferes with people's ability to share reality and thus achieve validation for their beliefs. In Studies 1 and 2, participants read a scenario that presented a choice, rated the percent of their peers whom they thought would select each of the two options, and then reported their own choice and their certainty of it. Existential isolation was a significant negative predictor of expected agreement and certainty in both studies. Interpersonal isolation (i.e., loneliness) did not relate to either of these variables. Moreover, mediational analyses from Study 2 show that expected agreement mediated the relationship between existential isolation and certainty in the hypothesized manner: existential isolation predicted high levels of uncertainty because people high in existential isolation tended not to believe that others would make the same choice. In Study 3, existential isolation correlated negatively with expected agreement even after controlling for interpersonal isolation, self-esteem, and depression. The findings attest to the epistemic implications of existential isolation and provide insight for future research.

Existential isolation is the subjective feeling of being alone in ones experience and differs from feeling lonely for lack of meaningful interpersonal relationships. The bulk of the work on existential isolation to date comes from individualistic cultures and thus overlooks the role played by cultural orientation in this experience. Here we validate a version of the Existential Isolation Scale for use in South Korea. Next, we look at existential isolation as a function of individualism/collectivism and independent/interdependent self-construals, drawing samples from both South Korea the United States. Across both samples, we witness that strong endorsement of collectivistic values corresponds with lower levels of existential isolation. In addition, in Study 2 we witness that gender differences in interdependent self-construal account for why we observe gender differences in existential isolation in the United States but not in South Korea. We close by contemplating the possibility that collectivistic values serve as a buffer against feelings of existential isolation.

People's fundamental existential isolation sheds light on both the positives and the negatives associated with religion. After reviewing relevant theory and research on existential isolation and existential connection (i.e., I-sharing), we describe religious practices from a wide range of faiths, all of which promote feelings of existential connection with other people and with one's own version of the divine. Unfortunately, these positives associated with religion can also account for the negatives: the very desire for existential connection that unites people of the same faith can create a faulty sense of separateness from people of different faiths. Research on I-sharing's ability to promote positive intergroup outcomes offers hope for improved interfaith relations. Drawing from this research, we recommend efforts to foster existential connection across the faith divide.

Psychologists have devoted substantial attention to social isolation and to loneliness but only recently have psychologists begun to consider existential isolation. Existential isolation is a unique form of interpersonal isolation, related to, but distinct from loneliness and social isolation. Feeling existentially isolated is the subjective sense one is alone in one's experience, and that others cannot understand one's perspective. In the current paper, we propose a conceptual model of existential isolation and review relevant evidence. The model proposes that the experience of existential isolation can be situational, context dependent, or a trait-like pervasive sense that others do not validate one's subjective experience. The model posits acute and chronic causes of existential isolation and consequences of the state and trait forms of it. Reactions to state existential isolation produce momentary and short-term effects whereby an individual's sense of validation of their worldview is threatened and attempts are made to eliminate this feeling. In contrast, trait existential isolation leads to reduced identification with cultural sources of meaning and withdrawal from seeking rewarding relationships, which leads to more long-term consequences such as chronic need depletion and deficits in well-being. We briefly discuss potential moderators that may affect whether and when individuals experience existential isolation and possible strategies for reducing existential isolation, and recommend directions for future research.

This project examined perceptions of the vegan lifestyle using surveys and social media to explore barriers to choosing veganism. A survey of 510 individuals indicated that non-vegans did not believe veganism was as healthy or difficult as vegans. In a second analysis, Instagram posts using #vegan suggest content is aimed primarily at the female vegan community. Finally, sentiment analysis of roughly 5 million Twitter posts mentioning 'vegan' found veganism to be portrayed in a more positive light compared to other topics. Results suggest non-vegans' lack of interest in veganism is driven by non-belief in the health benefits of the diet.

Interpersonal isolation has been implicated as a correlate of various negative psychological and psychosocial outcomes. However, less is known about how existential isolation (EI), or the feeling that no one can truly understand your subjective experience, relates to psychological maladjustment and beliefs about, and experiences with. psychosocial treatments. Representing the integration of basic social psychological science on the EI construct and applied psychotherapy-relevant research, the aim of this preliminary, cross-sectional study was to examine the association between EI and (a) specific domains of clinical distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress), (b) prospective beliefs about future psychotherapy (i.e., intention to seek therapy, stigma tolerance. therapist expertness), and (c) satisfaction with current mental health treatment (for the subsample of those actively engaged in it). Participants were 500 adults who completed relevant measures via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) platform. As expected, EI was positively correlated with depression (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and stress (p < .001). Also as expected, and when controlling for general distress and relevant clinical experiences, EI was negatively associated with intention to seek therapy (p < .001), beliefs about therapist expertness (p < .001), and satisfaction with current mental health treatment (p < .001). Results indicated that the negative consequences of high EI extend to clinical symptomatology, more pessimistic beliefs about psychotherapy, and worse experiences when receiving treatment. We discuss tentative implications and recommend future research directions.

Following threats to their gender status, heterosexual men often respond defensively by, for example, expressing more negativity toward gay men. In contrast, 1-sharing-instances when people feel as though they have the same in-the-moment experience with another individual (e.g., they both cry or laugh at the same stimulus)-improves heterosexual men's attitudes toward gay men. Here, we integrate two literatures to ask whether I-sharing with a gay partner mitigates heterosexual men's defensive. antigay reactions following a gender status threat. Study 1 established that heterosexual men like a heterosexual partner better than a gay partner (d = 0.46), and that men respond defensively to a gender status threat (d = 0.66). Studies 2 and 3 asked whether I-sharing mitigates these effects. In both studies, heterosexual men either experienced or did not experience a gender threat before interacting with a computerized partner with whom they did or did not I-share. In Study 2, we manipulated the sexual orientation of the partner, such that he was either gay or heterosexual. Participants preferred the I-sharer over the non-I-sharer (d = 0.58). and neither the gender threat nor the sexual orientation of their partner moderated this effect. Study 3 findings replicated those of Study 2 and also revealed that I-sharing with a gay partner decreased heterosexual men's defensiveness about gender threatening feedback (d = 0.40). Together, the results point to the promise that I-sharing offers for promoting more positive attitudes toward gay men, particularly among those heterosexual men doubting their own masculinity.

Previous research on I-sharing (the belief that one has shared the same, in-the-moment subjective experience with another person) revealed its promise for improving intergroup relations. We expand on this research by (a) pursuing the mechanism underlying I-sharing's effects; (b) asking whether I-sharing promotes positive, behavioral intergroup outcomes; and (c) asking whether the effects of I-sharing generalize to the outgroup at large. Study 1 rules out the possibility that I-sharing promotes liking for an outgroup member via a process of subtyping. Study 2 shows that I-sharing promotes liking for an outgroup member because it promotes a general feeling of subjective connection to the I-sharer. Study 3 provides evidence that I-sharing promotes helping across intergroup lines, and Study 4 shows that I-sharing with one outgroup member reduces infrahumanization of the outgroup more generally. These four studies contribute to our growing understanding of the unique impact that I-sharing has on intergroup outcomes.

•This paper reviews research on a specific form of shared reality, called I-sharing.•I-sharing refers to those moments when people believe they have the same in-the-moment experience as another person.•I-sharing is especially potent and has interpersonal and intergroup outcomes.•Humans’ existential isolation accounts for the potency of I-sharing.•The work on I-sharing and existential isolation may have important clinical implications.