Alone Time May Heighten Threat Alert in Children: Study Reveals
People in their late teens experience an increased sensitivity to threats after just a few hours left in a room on their own - an effect that endures even if they are interacting online with friends and family. This is according to the latest findings from a cognitive neuroscience experiment conducted at the University of Cambridge, which saw 40 young people aged 16-19 undergo testing before and after several hours alone – both with and without their smartphones. The findings are published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
Many countries have declared an epidemic of loneliness. The researchers set out to “induce” loneliness in teenagers and study the effects through a series of tests, from a Pavlovian task to electrodes that measure sweat.
The key highlights of the study are:
Scientists detect a heightened “threat vigilance” reaction in adolescents after a few hours of isolation, which socializing online doesn’t appear to ameliorate.
They say the findings might shed light on the link between loneliness and mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, which are on the rise in young people.
Experiment is the first to find an increased threat response triggered by isolation in humans.
Participants were given initial tests and questionnaires to establish a “baseline”. These included the Pavlovian threat test, in which they were shown a series of shapes on a screen, one of which was paired with a harsh noise played through headphones, so the shape became associated with a feeling of apprehension.
Electrodes attached to fingers monitored “electrodermal activity” – a physiological marker of stress – throughout this test. Each participant returned for two separate stints of around four hours isolated in a room in Cambridge University’s Psychology Department, after which the tests were completed again. There was around a month, on average, between sessions.
All participants underwent two isolation sessions. One was spent with a few puzzles to pass the time, but no connection to the outside world. For the other, participants were allowed smartphones and given wi-fi codes, as well as music and novels. The only major rule in both sessions was they had to stay awake.
However, participants found the threat cue – the shape paired with a jarring sound – more anxiety-inducing and unpleasant after both isolation sessions, with electrodes also measuring elevated stress activity.
On average across the study, threat responses were 70% higher after the isolation sessions compared to the baseline, regardless of whether participants had been interacting digitally.
Reference: Towner, E., Thomas, K., Tomova, L., & Blakemore, S. J. Increased Threat Learning After Social Isolation in Human Adolescents.
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