Research indicates that perceived social isolation (PSI) is a risk factor for and may contribute to "poorer overall cognitive performance and poorer executive functioning, faster cognitive decline, more negative and depressive cognition, heightened sensitivity to social threats, and a self-protective confirmatory bias in social cognition."[4] PSI also contributes to accelerating the ageing process: Wilson et al. (2007) reported that, after controlling for social network size and frequency of social activity, perceived social isolation is predictive of cognitive decline and risk for Alzheimer's disease.[5] Moreover, the social interactions of individuals who feel socially isolated are more negative and less subjectively satisfying.[6] This contributes to a vicious cycle in which the person becomes more and more isolated.
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