Connecting everyday talk and time alone to global well-being

Abstract

Theoretical explanations for associations between characteristics of social interactions and global well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, loneliness) require further development and empirical grounding. We used the Communicate Bond Belong theory to develop six hypotheses linking the frequency, type, relatedness-to-energy ratio, and volition/choice of everyday social interactions with global well-being. Hypotheses were tested using two experience sampling studies and one 28-day diary study (TotalN = 389; Totalobservations = 10,368). Results suggest that number of social interactions is associated with global well-being, and that the portion of interactions with close partners is associated with lower loneliness. Experiencing unsatiated social needs when alone was negatively associated with global well-being and greater interaction choice was positively associated with global well-being. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion about how the pattern and nature of daily sociability are reflective of human thriving.