Summary: New research finds that people who feel lonely or socially isolated tend to prefer louder sounds—like music or background noise—than those who feel socially connected. Higher volume may help reduce the negative feelings associated with social exclusion.
Source: James Cook University
Sound may offer a simple, low-cost way to ease feelings of loneliness and social isolation, including during COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantine, according to new research from James Cook University.
Across a set of experiments, researchers found that people who feel socially excluded or lonely tend to prefer higher volume levels—whether that is music, television, or ambient noise—compared with people who feel socially accepted. The evidence suggests louder sounds can also help lessen the emotional impact of exclusion, such as social pain, anger, loneliness, and lowered mood.
“Loud noises are not only desired following social exclusion, they are also effective at mitigating the negative psychological effects of social exclusion,” said lead author Dr Adam Wang from James Cook University. “Preferences for louder volumes appear to be driven not only by sensory pleasure, but also by a need for social connection.”
The research is particularly relevant during periods of enforced isolation, such as COVID-19 lockdowns, when people may struggle with prolonged separation from family, friends, and coworkers. Loneliness can act like chronic psychological pain, interfering with concentration and productivity and, in some cases, prompting behaviors that undermine public-health measures.
“Feeling lonely is pervasive and costly,” Dr Wang said. “In the context of the pandemic, an inability to tolerate loneliness could make it harder for people to comply with isolation rules. Sound appears to be a convenient and cost-free strategy that might help in these situations.”
The researchers propose that sound gives a sense of interpersonal closeness because louder, livelier environments are commonly associated with social activity. “Loud sound can signal physical and social proximity,” Dr Wang explained. “Lively places tend to be louder than barren ones, and people generally speak more freely around friends than strangers. Over time, louder sounds may cue memories of social events and closer relationships.”
This compensatory role of sound is not always conscious. Many people routinely use background noise as a form of social comfort—leaving the television on while doing chores, listening to music while studying, or keeping a radio in the background—often without intending to focus on it.
The study included 12 experiments with more than 2,000 participants from Australia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA. Findings showed that louder audio tends to make people feel both physically and socially closer to others, and louder environments can reduce the harmful psychological effects of exclusion. Conversely, people who were made to feel excluded perceived their surroundings as quieter and expressed a preference for higher volumes.
“While people generally avoid excessively loud sounds because of physical discomfort, less attention has been paid to why people move away from overly quiet environments,” Dr Wang said. The findings suggest that sound operates as a subtle social signal: silence can reinforce feelings of emptiness, while ambient noise can imply the presence of others.
Dr Wang emphasized that loneliness has meaningful long-term consequences for mental and physical health. “The need to belong is a fundamental human requirement,” he said. “Social exclusion threatens self-esteem, mood, quality of life, and even longevity. Understanding basic, accessible ways to ease loneliness is therefore important.”
The practical implications are wide-ranging. Environments where people are at higher risk of isolation—such as hospitals, retirement homes, solitary workplaces, or private residences during quarantine—might benefit from thoughtfully increased ambient sound. “Cranking the volume up in appropriate ways may ease negative emotions by providing a sense of companionship,” Dr Wang noted.
About this psychology research news
Source: James Cook University
Contact: Adam Wang – James Cook University
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Closed access. “Loudness Perceptions Influence Feelings of Interpersonal Closeness and Protect Against Detrimental Psychological Effects of Social Exclusion” by Adam Wang et al., published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
Abstract
Loudness Perceptions Influence Feelings of Interpersonal Closeness and Protect Against Detrimental Psychological Effects of Social Exclusion
The authors propose that perceptions of auditory loudness and interpersonal closeness influence each other. Across 12 experiments (total N = 2,219; 10 preregistered) with participants from Singapore, the UK, the USA, and Australia, the research demonstrates that louder audio makes people feel physically and socially closer to others, likely because loudness implicitly activates concepts related to interpersonal closeness.
This loudness–closeness effect appeared across diverse samples, for longer listening intervals, and in natural settings. In contrast, participants induced to feel socially excluded rated their environments as quieter and showed a subsequent preference for louder volume. Exposure to louder stimuli reduced the negative psychological effects of social exclusion. The paper discusses theoretical implications for social cognition of loudness, compensatory strategies following exclusion, and practical applications for reducing loneliness.