Socialsatiation: Social anxiety alters belongingness dynamics?

Background: Social interactions and stable individual differences shape an individual's sense of belongingness —a core need of being accepted by others. Indeed, a sense of belonging is postulated—and found—to affect and be affected by socializing. A diminished sense of belonging and reduced socializing characterizes social anxiety (SA). However, the impact of SA on the temporal dynamics between socializing and belongingness remains unclear. 

Method: Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we examined the impact of SA on socializing- belongingness dynamics. Participants (N = 116) provided real-time reports on social interactions (three times a day) and belongingness (five times a day) across a 15–17-day period. 

Results: SA moderated the relationship between socializing and belongingness. Individuals with low SA exhibited a maximizing pattern, with belongingness increasing continuously as socializing increased. In contrast, individuals with high SA showed a satiation effect, in which belongingness plateaued after a certain amount of socializing. Finally, both SA and socializing prospectively predicted perceived belongingness. 

Conclusions: Our findings reveal person-specific dynamics of belongingness, with high levels of SA associated with reduced benefits from social engagement. These findings suggest that enhancing social opportunities and assisting individuals in recognizing optimal levels of socializing may jointly contribute to more fulfilling intra- and interpersonal functioning in SA.