Flickr/Keoni CabralLoneliness is a complex emotion, and according to some new research out of the University of Chicago that analyzes how it affects the brain, it's a feeling that can lead to an insidious cycle, making behavior that could exacerbate those negative feelings more likely. As Dr. John Cacioppo, director of the University of Chicago's Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, tells The Wall Street Journal's Elizabeth Bernstein that research shows that someone who is feeling socially isolated is more likely to be "hypervigilant to threats." This could make them more likely to interpret an innocent interaction as hostile and to react as if it is — perpetuating that social isolation. Cacioppo is the author, along with his wife, Dr.