Motivation and preference in isolation: a test of their different influences on responses to self-isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak

Weinstein, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2200-6617 and Nguyen, T.-V. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0777-4204 (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). 200458. ISSN 2054-5703 doi: 10.1098/rsos.200458

Abstract/Summary

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 drive their self-isolation: some might see value in it (understood as the identified form of autonomous motivation), while others might feel forced into it by authorities or close others (family, friends, neighbourhoods, doctors; the external form of controlled motivation). People who typically prefer company will find themselves spending more time alone, and may experience ill-being uniformly, or as a function of their identified or external motivations for self-isolation. Self-isolation, therefore, offers a unique opportunity to distinguish two constructs coming from disparate literatures. This project examined preference and motivation (identified and external) for solitude, and tested their independent and interacting contributions to ill-being (loneliness, depression and anxiety during the time spent alone) across two weeks. Confirmatory hypotheses regarding preference and motivation were not supported by the data. A statistically significant effect of controlled motivation on change in ill-being was observed one week later, and preference predicted ill-being across two weeks. However, effect sizes for both were below our minimum threshold of interest.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/91532
Identification Number/DOI	10.1098/rsos.200458
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords	COVID-19, loneliness, motivation, self-isolation, solitude
Publisher	The Royal Society
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