Aug 10, 2026 08:38 PM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1139553
INTRO: The child who plays alone during recess may be perfectly content doing so, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
The research found that some elementary school children who appear unsociable actually just prefer being solo, as long as they know they belong in a broader social setting. These children knew their peers would still invite them to play even if they opted out from time to time. That knowledge acted as a buffer against potential feelings of loneliness.
Children who said they didn’t think fitting in was important felt unhappy with their relationships with peers. It could be that they didn’t see a reason to maintain social connections, often turning down invites to play. As a result, those invites likely stopped coming. And then they began feeling left out and lonely.
It’s important to remind children they can fit in with their peers but not to force them into social interaction if they don’t feel like it, the researchers said.
“There are things we do because we know what’s good for us,” said Michele Lease, co-author of the study and a professor in UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of educational psychology. “We go exercise. We eat our vegetables. We know it’s important. We might not want to do it, but we do it because it’s good for us.
“Social interaction is the same way. Turning down invitations, like avoiding exercise, leads to poorer outcomes.” (MORE - no ads)
INTRO: The child who plays alone during recess may be perfectly content doing so, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.
The research found that some elementary school children who appear unsociable actually just prefer being solo, as long as they know they belong in a broader social setting. These children knew their peers would still invite them to play even if they opted out from time to time. That knowledge acted as a buffer against potential feelings of loneliness.
Children who said they didn’t think fitting in was important felt unhappy with their relationships with peers. It could be that they didn’t see a reason to maintain social connections, often turning down invites to play. As a result, those invites likely stopped coming. And then they began feeling left out and lonely.
It’s important to remind children they can fit in with their peers but not to force them into social interaction if they don’t feel like it, the researchers said.
“There are things we do because we know what’s good for us,” said Michele Lease, co-author of the study and a professor in UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of educational psychology. “We go exercise. We eat our vegetables. We know it’s important. We might not want to do it, but we do it because it’s good for us.
“Social interaction is the same way. Turning down invitations, like avoiding exercise, leads to poorer outcomes.” (MORE - no ads)