Undersociality: miscalibrated social cognition can inhibit social connection.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and theoretical framework without systematic review methodology or new human data
PubMed 35341673 · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2022.02.007
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes research on social cognition to explain why individuals often avoid social connection. The authors outline three proposed mechanisms—differential construal, uncertain responsiveness, and asymmetric learning—that lead people to misjudge social interactions such as conversations, appreciation expressions, and acts of kindness.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data. It notes the general finding that individuals systematically underestimate positive reactions from others across multiple forms of social engagement, leading to lower levels of social connection than would maximize well-being.
Why it matters
Identifying cognitive biases that prevent social engagement provides a framework for designing interventions to mitigate loneliness and improve interpersonal connection.
Limits
As a narrative review, the paper does not report systematic search methods, sample sizes, or quantitative effect estimates in the abstract. Boundary conditions, demographic generalizability, and cultural variations are not detailed.
Cited by
- supports People underestimate how interested strangers or other individuals are in engaging in conversation with them.
- supports Experimental psychological research demonstrates that people are systematically overly pessimistic about how positively others will respond to social engagement.