Autonomy Matters: Experiential and Individual Differences in Chosen and Unchosen Solitary Activities From Three Experience Sampling Studies

Solitude––the absence of social interaction––can bring both positive and negative experiences. Drawing on self-determination theory, we conducted three experience sampling studies to investigate quality dispositions associated with activities varying two dimensions––chosenness (chosen/unchosen) context (solitary/interactive). Participants (total N = 283) completed surveys 6–7 times each day over a 7-day period (total: 8,769 surveys). Multilevel modeling confirmed that participants reported the lowest momentary experiences when engaged in unchosen (vs. chosen) solitary activities. Further, individuals who spent more time lower meaning life satisfaction life. Extraversion was positively chosen interactive but negatively Post hoc analyses revealed people low high) extraversion productivity only during Chosen unchosen) seem have relatively benign impact well-being.