In this paper, we sought to understand the biological effects in the human body when a person experiences social isolation, so that we can have a better understanding of these and recognize the steps needed to reduce the severity of their biological impacts. Previous research has predicted the biological effects of social isolation by variables such as the levels of blood pressure, testosterone, food intake, and hippocampal functioning. In our correlational study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables longitudinally over a two-week period. We measured blood pressure levels using an electronic blood pressure monitor, inferred the amount of food intake by counting the amount of calories consumed, inferred testosterone levels based on measured leg hair growth rates, measured hippocampal functioning by performance on a spatial memory test, and determined the level of social isolation by using a scale. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed significant correlations of social isolation with systolic blood pressure, but not with calorie intake, testosterone levels or hippocampal functioning.
