Asociality - lack of motivation to engage in social interaction, or a preference for solitary activities

Asociality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Asociality refers to the lack of motivation to engage in social interaction,
or a preference for solitary activities. Developmental psychologists
use the synonyms nonsocial, unsocial, and social disinterest. Asociality
is distinct from but not mutually exclusive to anti-social behavior, in which the latter implies an active misanthropy or antagonism toward other people or the general social order. A degree of asociality is routinely observed in introverts, while extreme asociality is observed in people with a variety of clinical conditions.

Asociality is not necessarily perceived as a totally negative trait by society, since asociality has been used as a way to express dissent from prevailing ideas. It is seen as a desirable trait in certain monastic traditions, notably in Catholicism, Buddhism and Sufism.

Contents

• 1 Introversion
• 2 Asociality in psychopathology
  
  • 2.1 Schizophrenia
  • 2.2 Personality disorders
    
    • 2.2.1 Avoidant personality disorder
    • 2.2.2 Schizoid personality disorder
    • 2.2.3 Schizotypal personality disorder
    • 2.2.4 Social anxiety disorder
  • 2.3 Autism spectrum disorders
    
    • 2.3.1 Autism
    • 2.3.2 Asperger syndrome
  • 2.4 Mood disorders
    
    • 2.4.1 Depression
• 3 Management
  
  • 3.1 Treatments
    
    • 3.1.1 Social skills training
    • 3.1.2 Metacognitive interpersonal therapy
  • 3.2 Coping mechanisms
• 4 See also
• 5 References
• 6 Further reading