Culture & Loneliness: Are You More Prone to Loneliness Due to Your Culture?

Does your culture make you lonely?

A study on loneliness and horizontal/vertical individualism and collectivism sought to uncover whether or not culture plays a role in feelings of loneliness.

The study represents a multinational exploration into the intricate dynamics of self-reported loneliness, taking into account the various dimensions of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, while also considering the influence of age and gender across 28 distinct countries. 

As previously discussed, individualism-collectivism serves as a cultural dimension that illuminates an individual’s place within their social context. 

On a societal level, cultures characterized by high individualism typically feature individuals who perceive themselves as independent agents, valuing autonomy and personal freedom. 

Conversely, cultures marked by high collectivism emphasize group identity, harmony, and shared objectives, prioritizing the collective over personal achievement and goals. 

On an individual level, those with an individualistic orientation tend to define their self-concepts independently of the group, whereas collectivists perceive themselves as integral parts of their affiliated social groups, placing great importance on relationships within these groups.

Hypothetically, applying these self-construals to the concept of loneliness, it becomes plausible that individuals who adopt a more individualistic perspective, distancing themselves from the in-group, may be more prone to experiencing loneliness. 

Conversely, collectivists, who define themselves in relation to others, might have a lower propensity for loneliness. 

But is this what the research found?

The Study

Researchers explored the landscape of loneliness, considering the dimensions of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, while also accounting for age and gender effects across 28 diverse countries. 

Their analysis yielded noteworthy results, shedding light on how these cultural dimensions influence self-reported loneliness.

For specific country samples, they observed distinct patterns. 

Horizontal-individualism displayed significant negative predictor weights in countries such as Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Ukraine, and the overall sample. 

This suggests that individuals who reported feeling less autonomous and more unequal were more likely to endorse higher loneliness levels.

On the other hand, vertical-individualism exhibited significant positive predictor weights in the total sample, including Brazil, Japan, Russia, and Spain. 

These findings implied that those who felt more autonomous and unequal were more inclined to endorse loneliness-related items.

Turning to horizontal-collectivism, they found significant negative regression predictor weights in the overall sample, including Russia, Japan, and the United States. 

This indicated that individuals who perceived themselves as equal to others and as part of a community were less likely to report loneliness.

Conversely, vertical-collectivism displayed significant positive predictor regression weights in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Croatia, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and the overall sample. 

This suggests that those who felt unequal to others, despite a sense of belonging to a community, were more likely to experience higher levels of loneliness.

These findings align with previous hypotheses related to individualism and loneliness, suggesting that value orientations linked to equality versus dominance play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s sense of connectedness. 

The concept of social inequality, whether within an individualistic or collectivistic framework, emerged as a critical factor in understanding loneliness. 

In societies marked by social inequality, feelings of distance from others, even within one’s own group, may contribute to loneliness, particularly in collectivist settings.

Moreover, the study hints at the relationship between social dominance orientation and loneliness, as individuals in more unequal societies may experience a sense of threat and strained self-esteem, potentially leading to loneliness. 

These intriguing results underscore a noteworthy pattern: individuals who prioritize egalitarian social relationships tend to report lower levels of loneliness, whereas those who embrace individuality and competitiveness are more likely to endorse loneliness-related items. 

These findings hold significance for professionals and researchers working with lonely individuals, emphasizing the critical role of perceived cultural influences in understanding and addressing this complex emotional state.