This study explored the content and cognitive structure of self-determined solitude experiences among college students, using the concept mapping method (Trochim, 1989; Kane & Trochim, 2007). While previous quantitative studies have focused on rel...
This study explored the content and cognitive structure of self-determined solitude experiences among college students, using the concept mapping method (Trochim, 1989; Kane & Trochim, 2007). While previous quantitative studies have focused on relationships between solitude motivation and psychological variables, the processual and contextual aspects of solitude experiences from participants' own perspective have rarely been investigated. Eleven college students in Gwangju, Korea, who scored 2.8 or above on the Self-Determined Motivation for Solitude Scale (SDS; Nicol, 2005; translated by Lim, 2010), participated in individual in-depth interviews, statement sorting, and importance ratings. Through synthesis and refinement, 72 final statements were derived and analyzed using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward's method) in R (version 4.5.3). The analysis yielded a two-dimensional concept map (Stress = .310, R² = .483) with Process–Outcome and Relational–Personal dimensions, and six clusters: (1) Reconstruction of Relationships, (2) Self-Reflection and Inner Immersion, (3) Establishment of Autonomy and Self-Direction, (4) Discovery of Authentic Self and Self-Integration, (5) Transition from External Exhaustion to Self-Recovery, and (6) Confusion and Disturbance from Solitude. Self-Reflection and Inner Immersion was rated as the most important cluster (M = 4.10). The clusters revealed a possible developmental flow from the transition into self-recovery, through self-reflection (accompanied by confusion and inner disturbance), to the discovery of authentic self, autonomy, and the reconstruction of relationships. These findings extend the understanding of self-determined solitude as a multidimensional and developmental experience and provide foundational data for counseling practice.