Adolescents become significantly more motivated to seek rewards after only a few hours of social isolation.
Teen Loneliness Triggers Reward-Seeking Behaviour
Adolescents become significantly more motivated to seek rewards after only a few hours of social isolation, according to new research published in the journal Communications Psychology led by the University of Cambridge in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and Ecole Normale Superieure Paris.
The findings suggest that while this heightened drive may encourage young people to reconnect with others, it may also increase the risk of turning to less healthy behaviours - such as substance use - if opportunities for positive social interaction are not available.
Teenagers are rapidly sensitive to even short periods of social isolation. We found that just a few hours alone can shift their motivation - making rewards, whether social, monetary, or otherwise, more appealing
Forty adolescents aged 16 – 19 took part in the study. All had good social relationships, no history of mental health diagnoses, and average self-reported loneliness.
Each participant completed two sessions, spaced at least one week apart:
Before and after isolation, participants performed computer-based tasks measuring how much effort they would make for rewards and how quickly they could learn from cues.
Results showed that adolescents showed significantly increased effort to obtain rewards after three to four hours of social isolation. The effect was stronger among those who self-reported feeling lonelier during the isolation period. Virtual social interactions (via mobile phone or laptop) reduced feelings of loneliness and blunted the increase in reward-seeking behaviour, however, even with virtual contact, positive mood still declined compared to baseline.
These findings suggest that even short spells of loneliness can push adolescents toward stronger reward-seeking behaviours. While this can help prompt reconnection with peers, it may also encourage fewer positive behaviours - such as substance use, excessive screen time, gambling, or unsafe risk-taking - if healthy outlets are missing. Virtual interaction appears to offer some protection but cannot fully replace in-person contact in sustaining positive mood and wellbeing.
These insights highlight that emphasize that adolescence is not only a phase of vulnerability but also one of opportunity, where (lack of) social experiences may shape behaviour and mental health.
Reference: Tomova, L et al: ‘Acute isolation is associated with increased reward seeking and reward learning in human adolescents.’ Communications Psychology, September 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s44271-025-00306-6
Associate Professor
Dr. Lei Zhang is a cognitive computational neuroscientist. He directs the Adaptive Learning Psychology and Neuroscience Lab, ALP(e)N Lab, which addresses the fundamental question of the "adaptive brain".
