Solitude, Nature, and Cities

Solitude is an important motive for participation in many leisure activities. This paper reviews the evidence about the psychology of solitude experiences obtained from two studies conducted with University of Massachusetts students. The first study identified three independent dimensions of solitude: innerdirected, outer-directed, and loneliness. The second study, which differentiated between positive (inner-/outer-directed) and negative (loneliness) solitude, found that episodes of both kinds were common: 2 to 3 times per week, typically lasting from 4 to 16 hours. Positive episodes tended to occur during the day, while negative episodes occurred at night. The implications for various park and recreation agencies are explored.