What Makes Places Lonely?

Maike Luhmann suggests a new theoretical model that links a person’s present loneliness to their subjective perception of the places where they spend time in the course of the day. She also assumes that the perception of places is in turn shaped by the objective, observable characteristics of the place and the characteristics of the person. Their mobility patterns also play a role, i.e. how often, for how long and in what order the person visits certain places.

In her ERC project, the researcher will first develop a taxonomy that enables a systematic and comprehensive description of the perceived characteristics of places. In the citizen science part of the project, these descriptions will then be applied to places in the city of Bochum. In addition, the project includes a longitudinal study in which participants track their location via GPS and record their perceptions of their current location and current feelings of loneliness four times over three years. In lab and field experiments, Maike Luhmann will also analyze the causal processes that link space and loneliness.

The findings from LOTIS can eventually be used to develop evidence-based interventions and public policies to combat loneliness.