Lonely People Are More Likely to See Objects as Humanlike

According to a new study published in Psychological Science, there's another solution for those who find solace in anthropomorphizing objects: reflecting on close, caring relationships you've had in the past, which reduces the tendency to ascribe humanlike characteristics to nonliving things.

Because a previous study linked loneliness with anthropomorphism, researchers wondered if helping people reconnect socially would counter that tendency. They conducted an online experiment using the data of 178 participants, who were first asked to complete surveys that measured loneliness, self-esteem, and need to belong, among other things. Afterward, some were told to think about an "important" and "meaningful" relationship while others were told to recall an acquaintance; as they reminisced about these relationships, they completed tasks, such as a visualization exercise, to induce feelings of social connection.

Participants were then rated on their tendency to anthropomorphize. After reading descriptions of four technological devices—including Clocky, the alarm clock that rolls away when it goes off, making its owner get up to turn it off—they rated the gadgets on a number of social dimensions (such as "having a mind of its own") as well as nonsocial ones (such as "efficiency").

In their results, not only did the study's authors replicate previous findings in that lonely people were more likely to anthropomorphize than non-lonely people, but they also determined that the participants who were reminded of a meaningful relationship were "significantly less likely" to anthropomorphize than those who recalled the casual relationship.

Jennifer Bartz is a psychology professor at McGill University and lead author on the study. In a press release, she said, "We think this work really highlights how important feeling socially connected is to people and the lengths people will go to 'reconnect' when they feel disconnected, and it reminds us of the value of our close relationships."

"By 'socially connected' we mean something pretty specific," elaborates Kristina Tchalova, a graduate student at McGill and Bartz's co-author. "We think of 'social connection' as that effusive feeling of gratification and warmth people experience in the presence of someone who makes them feel understood, validated, and cared for." While social media is a great tool to stay connected with friends and family, Tchalova says, the interactions there "are not likely to be as deep or as targeted as they would be in an intimate relationship."

Tchalova also points out that attributing human-like traits to inanimate objects is not unhealthy or abnormal. "In our sample," she says, "only 13 percent of participants said that the gadgets had absolutely no human characteristics, which means that the majority of people—lonely or not—were engaging in some anthropomorphic thinking."

But, she continues, "It could become maladaptive if it was excessive and got in the way of developing real relationships with real people. Anthropomorphism may provide a quick and easy boost for people who are feeling socially disconnected since it doesn't involve any risk, but it also won't provide the rewards that come from an intimate bond with another person."

As the study states: "Although anthropomorphism is one of the more creative ways people try to meet belonging needs, it is nevertheless difficult to have a relationship with an inanimate object."