New Study Suggests Loneliness is Contagious

New Study Suggests Loneliness is Contagious

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Is loneliness contagious? A new study suggests the answer is yes.

The new study suggests those with a negative vibe spread it merely by being in regular contact with that person.

Lead author of the study is Dr. John Cacioppo, a psychologist at the University of Chicago. He says “negative social interactions are more powerful and have a bigger impact than positive social interactions”. He adds that loneliness is “transmitted” through those social interactions.

The new study suggests that, as people become lonely, they become less trusting of others, making it harder for them to form friendships.

The study of more than 10,000 people is found in the new edition of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

More information at www.apa.org/journals/psp/

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