Behavioural Emotion Regulation Strategies as Mediators of Insecure Attachment on Positive Solitude

Experiences of aloneness are inevitable, yet relatively little research has explored what explains positive experiences of solitude. As attachment orientations shape the experience of aloneness it is plausible they are associated with positive solitude. This study examined the relationship between attachment orientations and experiences of positive solitude, mediated via behavioural emotion regulation strategies. Adults living in Australia (N = 548; Mage = 33.16, SD = 17.38) completed measures of attachment and behavioural emotion regulation (Time 1), and positive solitude (Time 2, one week later). Structural equation modelling tested effects of anxious and avoidant attachment on positive solitude via five behavioural emotion regulation strategies: seeking distraction, seeking social support, actively approaching, ignoring, and withdrawal. The final model accounted for 24.8% of the variance in positive solitude. Avoidant and anxious attachment predicted different patterns of emotion regulation while all emotion regulation strategies significantly predicted positive solitude. Avoidant attachment indirectly predicted lower positive solitude while anxious attachment directly and indirectly predicted lower positive solitude. Findings suggest that both attachment orientation and emotion regulation shape the capacity to experience solitude positively. These results highlight the importance of considering attachment and emotion regulation in designing personalised interventions to promote adaptive and positive experiences of aloneness.