ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1, it became clear that social norms and social attribution can serve to exacerbate the feelings of distress caused by a deficient social environment. But what is a deficient social environment? A common belief in this context is that a simple reduction in the number of people we have contact with will promote feelings of loneliness. For example, the Oxford Dictionary defines lonely as:
Lonely: Solitary, companionless, isolated; unfrequented; sad because without friends or company.
