SELF-PROTECTIVE EPISODIC SIMULATIONS MOTIVATE NEGATIVE SOCIAL BEHAVIORS IN LONELY PEOPLE

Abstract

Loneliness can be an enduring condition, with the stability of loneliness comparable to that of a personality trait. The Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness (ETL) posits that loneliness is a self-perpetuating condition; lonely people prioritize self-protection over connecting with others. To self-protect, lonely people engage in increased hostility and avoidance and decreased prosocial behaviors. Engaging in these behaviors perpetuates their loneliness by eroding their social networks. I hypothesize that self-protective episodic simulations of rejection may be an underlying mechanism that drives negative social behaviors. To assess the effects of episodic simulations on the stability of loneliness, I conducted a longitudinal assessment of participants' unmanipulated episodic simulations of social interactions and ratings of loneliness. Participants were 207 undergraduate students at the University of Maryland who completed up to four sequential weekly assessments. Multilevel modeling was used to assess within subjects change in social behaviors, social perceptions, and episodic simulations. I found evidence to support episodic simulations of rejection predicted next week's prosocial behaviors, social avoidance, and hostility. Prosocial behaviors and hostility, in turn, predicted loneliness. I did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that loneliness predicts the following week's hostility. The results highlight the potential influence episodic simulations of rejection have on social behaviors and loneliness. Contrary to ETL, I did not find any support for the hypothesis that loneliness predicts future hostility.