Benefits of solitude for connected individuals in the United States but not China: Situating solitude in communicate bond belong theory

The relationship between solitude and well-being is complicated by heterogeneity in definitions and effects of solitude. This study offers an understanding of solitude that shifts focus from physical to social aloneness – unavailability to communicate with others through face-to-face or mediated channels – while situating it in Communicate Bond Belong (CBB) theory to predict which individuals experience its benefits or costs. The current study utilizes secondary data (N = 985) from participants in United States and China to test predictions derived from CBB theory. Findings suggest solitude may be beneficial for highly connected individuals in the United States but not China. In the United States (but not China), there were significant interactions between solitude and meeting up with others in-person, maintaining relationships through mobile media, and self-disclosure through mobile media to predict well-being. Critically, the interactions between solitude and self-disclosure through mobile media and solitude and friendship quality significantly differed between the United States and China. These results received full support for chosen solitude, but also partial support for unchosen solitude. The discussion offers theoretical implications for CBB theory and future research on solitude.