Master assignments stream 2: Literature Review

How to make that connection: a literature review on the dimensions of connectedness

Method Stream: Literature Review

ECs:  Only 14 EC (standard, no new/own data collection. Applicable in case of a clinical internship)

Description:

Human beings have a powerful need for connectedness. A sense of felt connection with self, other people and the world around us has a profound effect on our well-being. Disconnected individuals may feel lost and alone, both on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level; that is, these individuals may experience a pervasive sense of disconnection, both from the internal self as well from the external world. Alienation or disconnection have been suggested to underlie many mental illnesses such as eating disorders, borderline personality disorders, PTSD and so on.

Connectedness is a multidimensional construct and most conceptualizations of connectedness included a self in-relation-to-others component, such as social connectedness and nature connectedness,  and a more internally focused self-component. In this literature review, the construct of connectedness will be explored in a thorough manner by examining the dimensions of connectedness to the self, connectedness to others and connectedness to the world.