Article summary of Heathy social bonds: A necessary condition for well-being by Gable & Bromberg. - Chapter

What is this article about?

This article is an exploration of the question whether individuals need relationships with others to thrive. This has been researched a lot so there is a lot of evidence that can be reviewed. This evidence suggests that people do need social bonds, not only to thrive but even to just survive. How relationships might contribute to well-being, will be explained after the review of the research of the relationship between social bonds and well-being.

Do we need social bonds to thrive?

Historically, the punishment reserved for the worst offenders in a prison has been solitary confinement. This is not without reason; being cut off from all social bonds can be seen as a form of torture. Large scale epidemiological studies on predictors of mortality have consistently revealed that social isolation is a substantial risk factor for death. In addition to this evidence that links a lack of social ties to mortality and disease, there is evidence that the quality of one's social relationships is also linked to health. So not only do we need relationships with other people in order to survive, but we also need close relationships. The presence of social ties is not sufficient to lower the risks of mortality and disease. 

Social ties have also been linked to psychological health and well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are correlated with depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, substance abuse and lower subjective well-being. Just like for physical health, it is not enough for mental health to just have social bonds with other people, the bonds need to be tight and need to feel meaningful. The social domain has even been proven to be a better predictor of well-being than any other domain of life, such as career and financial attainment. It also does not matter how old an individual is or in what stage of life they are; the effect of relationship quality on well-being remains strong throughout life. Much of the research has studied hedonic well-being, but there is also some evidence that eudaimonic well-being is also highly influenced by social bonds.

Why do we need social bonds to thrive and to survive?

There is a strong positive link between good social ties and well-being. This link could be explained in different ways. There is some evidence for all of the following theories, but it is difficult to prove them, so we still need more research. 

Firstly, you can see social relationships as a buffer against threats. If we do not have strong social bonds, we are in much more danger. This could be the reason why our body experiences all kinds of negative emotions when we are lonely. These negative emotions are possibly a motivation to go and find people that can keep you safe. 

Secondly, social support is important in the pursuit of personal goals and for shaping the self-concept. It turns out that people also feel strong emotions regarding (lack of) social support, even in situations where they do not feel threatened at all. This would suggest that there is another function of social bonds. There is evidence that social support is important for goal pursuit, but the conditions and ways in which such support functions still require elaboration. Feeney and Collins came up with the model of thriving through relationships (2015). This model proposes that support for the pursuit of personal goals and challenges is one pathway through which social support can help individuals thrive. There is a lot of evidence for the fact that receiving social support has immediate and long-term benefits. 

Thirdly, social relationships provide rewards. Social partners can create, maintain, and increase positive affective states. Positive affective states are an important part of well-being and also drive us towards more prosocial behavior, because we want the reward of the positive affect again. Love, gratitude, and capitalization (sharing your happiness with others) all give positive feelings that we want to pursue at all times. 

In conclusion, not only do people need social bonds to thrive, but they also need them to survive. And the social bonds need to be tight as well. The pathways through which social bonds have this strong impact on well-being may not be so obvious, but in this article, three general pathways were identified: buffering the impact of negative situations, contributing to intrapersonal goals and the self-concept, and increasing the experience of positive emotions. Through these and possible additional processes, social relationships have great potential for increasing or decreasing individual well-being.