The Role of World Beliefs in Loneliness: Implications for Daily Social Interaction and Persistence of Loneliness Over Time.

Introduction: Lonely people often crave social connection, but their social interactions fall short of fulfilling their needs. Although loneliness has been associated with negative views of the world, it is not clear whether these world beliefs contribute to the unfulfilling social interaction patterns that sustain loneliness. This research examined the role of world beliefs in explaining the effects of loneliness on daily frequency and quality of interaction, and the implications for sustained loneliness over time.