Dealing with Social Isolation to Minimize Doctoral Attrition – A Four Stage Framework

Dealing with Social Isolation to Minimize Doctoral Attrition - A Four Stage Framework

10.28945/3082 ◽

2007 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Azad Ali ◽

Fred Kohun

Keyword(s):

Doctoral Students ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Doctoral Programs ◽

Drop Out ◽

Doctoral Attrition ◽

Decisions To Leave

The purpose of this paper is to create a study model or framework for dealing with social isolation in doctoral programs. Previous studies have focused on the issue of attrition among doctoral students and the factors that cause doctoral students to drop out prior to completing their degrees. Among the factors that affect students’ decisions to leave doctoral programs is the feeling of social isolation; however, the studies have focused on identifying the causes rather than establishing a framework for dealing with isolation feeling in doctoral programs. This paper intends to fill the gap and to establish a framework for dealing with isolation feelings in order to minimize doctoral attrition.

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Motives for Social Isolation Following a Negative Emotional Episode

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000211 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 77 (3) ◽

pp. 127-131

Author(s):

Gérald Delelis ◽

Véronique Christophe

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Social Affiliation ◽

Semantic Categorization ◽

Future Studies ◽

Cognitive Regulation ◽

Emotional Event ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

Emotional Events

Abstract. After experiencing an emotional event, people either seek out others’ presence (social affiliation) or avoid others’ presence (social isolation). The determinants and effects of social affiliation are now well-known, but social psychologists have not yet thoroughly studied social isolation. This study aims to ascertain which motives and corresponding regulation strategies participants report for social isolation following negative emotional events. A group of 96 participants retrieved from memory an actual negative event that led them to temporarily socially isolate themselves and freely listed up to 10 motives for social isolation. Through semantic categorization of the 423 motives reported by the participants, we found that “cognitive clarification” and “keeping one’s distance” – that is, the need for cognitive regulation and the refusal of socioaffective regulation, respectively – were the most commonly and quickly reported motives for social isolation. We discuss the findings in terms of ideas for future studies aimed at clarifying the role of social isolation in health situations.

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The Need to Belong and the Relationship Between Loneliness and Health

Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie ◽

10.1026/0943-8149/a000129 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 194-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Freda-Marie Hartung ◽

Britta Renner

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Social Situation ◽

First Year ◽

Health State ◽

Need To Belong ◽

First Year University ◽

Perceived Social Isolation ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.

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