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Consuming in response to loneliness: Bright side and dark side effects
Elena Fumagalli1, L J Shrum2, Tina M Lowrey2
1Escuela de Negocios, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Av. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta 7350, C1428, CABA, Argentina.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|March 27, 2022
Summary
Loneliness drives consumption to fulfill belongingness needs, with both positive and negative outcomes. It can also reduce self-control and foster mistrust, hindering social reconnection.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Consumer Behavior
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Loneliness is a prevalent issue impacting psychological well-being.
- Consumption behaviors are increasingly recognized as a coping mechanism for psychological states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize recent psychological research on the relationship between loneliness and consumption.
- To explore the motives activated by loneliness that influence consumer behavior, based on the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing recent advances in psychology.
- Thematic analysis structured around motives activated by loneliness.
Main Results:
- Loneliness activates motives to repair belongingness needs through consumption experiences.
- Consumption can have both beneficial ('bright side') and detrimental ('dark side') effects on social connection.
- Loneliness can trigger self-preservation, leading to mistrust and impeding social reconnection.
- Loneliness depletes self-regulatory resources, negatively impacting self-control.
Conclusions:
- Consumption serves as a complex strategy to cope with loneliness, with varied outcomes.
- Understanding these motives is crucial for addressing the negative consequences of loneliness on social behavior and self-regulation.
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