Attachment styles shape loneliness by steering why people spend time alone

A study of 548 Australian adults found that less secure adult attachment (anxious or avoidant) is linked to higher loneliness and to greater motivation for non-self-determined solitude, which mediates the loneliness link. Avoidant attachment also showed a weaker association with more self-determined solitude, which could reduce loneliness, though this effect was not robust. The findings suggest non-self-determined solitude helps explain why insecurely attached people feel lonelier, while self-determined solitude may help mitigate loneliness, though causal conclusions are limited.