ArticlePloS one2026
Relationships between primal emotional systems and the sense of loneliness: The mediating role of early maladaptive schemas.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundWithin Panksepp's neuroaffective theory, emotional-motivational systems constitute the biological basis for individual differences in the experience and regulation of emotions, which may be related to loneliness. At the same time, these systems may be associated with the formation of early maladaptive schemas which - according to Young's concept - affect interpersonal functioning. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between emotional-motivational systems and the sense of loneliness, and to determine whether early maladaptive schemas statistically mediate these relationships. MATERIALS AND
methodsThe study involved 323 participants aged 18 to 66 years (mean age: M = 26.9). The following instruments were used: the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA), the Brief Form of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (BANPS), and the Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form (YSQ-S3-PL).
resultsAll maladaptive schemas, schema domains, and systems - except for the SEEKING system - were significantly associated with the sense of loneliness. The strongest associations were observed for the SADNESS / PANIC / SEPARATION DISTRESS and FEAR systems. Emotional-motivational systems were also associated with early maladaptive schemas, with the strongest relationships found for four systems: SADNESS / PANIC / SEPARATION DISTRESS, FEAR, RAGE, and PLAY. Schema domains showed significant statistical mediation in the relationships between primal emotional systems and loneliness, except for the SEEKING system, where no mediation effect was found. The primary mediator in the tested relationships was the Disconnection/Rejection domain.
conclusionsThe findings suggest that early maladaptive schemas related to unmet needs for belonging, love, and relational safety are associated with the relationships between primal emotional systems and loneliness. In particular, the Disconnection/Rejection schema domain emerged as the most prominent statistical mediator in the analyzed models.
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