Loneliness is theorized to manifest in temporally distinct forms, each associated with characteristic socio-cognitive patterns, yet, whether state and trait loneliness differ in their associations with interpersonal trustworthiness beliefs, remains largely unexamined. The present study employed a two-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design to address this question. One hundred and fourteen participants reported their appraisals and trustworthiness ratings of social interaction partners, alongside momentary loneliness, twice daily across two weeks, and completed questionnaires assessing trait loneliness and generalized trust beliefs. Within-person fluctuations in momentary loneliness did not predict subsequent social appraisals or trustworthiness ratings at the next assessment point, whereas higher trait loneliness was associated with more negative social appraisals and lower trustworthiness ratings. This temporal dissociation is consistent with theoretical accounts proposing that trait loneliness involves more entrenched negative socio-cognitive patterns. The hypothesized amplification of the lagged within-person associations by trait loneliness was not supported, however. Instead, a trend in the opposite direction emerged, in which lower rather than higher trait loneliness showed stronger negative coupling between momentary loneliness and subsequent social appraisals and trustworthiness beliefs. Together, these findings suggest that loneliness-related distrust is more closely tied to stable, dispositional loneliness than to transient states, though the moderation trend cautions against a purely entrenchment-based account and points to remaining heterogeneity in how trait loneliness shapes momentary socio-cognitive responses.
Merscher et al. (Mon,) studied this question.