Finding pleasure in solitary activities: desire for aloneness or disinterest in social contact?

People balance their interpersonal engagements with time spent alone but differ widely in the degree to which they engage in and enjoy solitary activities. This study examined the question of whether these differences are primarily a function of a strong desire to spend time alone (high solitropism) versus a weak desire to spend time with other people (low sociotropism). Two-hundred and four respondents completed multiple measures of solitropic and sociotropic orientations, and answered questions about their participation in and enjoyment of solitary activities. The results suggested that the frequency and enjoyment of solitary activities are more strongly related to a high desire for solitude than to low sociotropism.