Project description
Research offers a new perspective in the relationship between loneliness and places
Loneliness is a growing concern, and the places where people live and spend time seem to play a role in shaping this experience. However, previous research has provided mixed evidence on this link between place and loneliness. The ERC-funded LOTIS project will further investigate this by shifting the perspective from a static to a dynamic view. Researchers will seek to establish a novel theoretical framework linking momentary loneliness to how a place is perceived, shaped by the objective features of the place, and the individual’s personal traits and mobility patterns. Using innovative methods like taxonomy development and longitudinal GPS tracking, LOTIS aims to uncover the complex dynamics between places, mobility and loneliness, offering insights to guiding evidence-based interventions and public policies.
Objective
The places where people live and spend their time seem to matter for loneliness, but previous research provides mixed evidence for this link. The core argument of LOTIS is that to understand why, when, and for whom places contribute to loneliness, the current perspective on the link between place and loneliness needs to be fundamentally shifted towards a dynamic view. I propose a novel theoretical framework linking a person’s momentary loneliness to how the place is subjectively perceived by this person at a given time, which in turn is influenced by the objective, observable characteristics of this place, characteristics of the person, and individual mobility patterns, i.e. how often, for how long, and in what order places are visited.
To test this framework, first, a new dimensional taxonomy that allows describing perceived character-istics of places systematically and comprehensively is developed and applied to the geographically diverse city of Bochum, Germany, using a citizen science approach. Second, the short-term and long-term reciprocal dynamics of place, mobility, and loneliness will be examined in a longitudinal meas-urement burst study where participants track their current location using GPS and report their percep-tions of their current locations and their momentary loneliness four times over a period of three years. Third, the causal processes that link places to loneliness will be tested using laboratory experiments and a natural field experiment.
LOTIS has the potential to significantly change how the associations among places, mobility, and lone-liness are conceptualized and studied by (a) moving from a static to a dynamic perspective, (b) incor-porating both objective and perceived characteristics of places, and (c) considering individual mobility patterns. In addition, the insights gained in LOTIS can be used to develop evidence-based interven-tions and public policy measures against loneliness.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
44801 Bochum
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.