Causes of Loneliness in North America and Spain

Abstract

The present study examined the influence of cultural background on the causes of loneliness. A total of 639 participants from North America and 454 from Spain volunteered to answer an 82-item questionnaire examining the causes of their loneliness. The factors that comprise the causes of loneliness are Personal inadequacies, Developmental deficits, Unfulfilling intimate relationships, Relocation/Significant separations, and Social marginality. Results indicated that cultural background indeed affects the causes of loneliness. North Americans scored higher on all five factors, and a similar trend was evident when men and women were compared across cultures.

Cross-cultural equivalence of coping and involuntary responses to stress in Spain and the United States

“…American youth are more likely to move to attend college, potentially increasing financial stress and disrupting social networks, whereas about 80% of Spanish youth live at home (CIS, 1999). Spanish adults are unlikely to report unfulfilling relationships or separation from friends and family as causes of loneliness (Rokach, Orzeck, Moya, and Expo´sito, 2002). A direct comparison of over 1,200 Spanish and 1,500 American adults indicated that Americans were more likely to rate friends as very important (Requena, 2001), perhaps due to lower levels of family support.…”

The Role of Personality Variables in Drug Abuse in a Spanish University Population

“…The factorial analysis gave a 5-factor solution: "personal inadequacies", "developmental deficits", "unfulfilling intimate relationships", "relocation/significant separations" and "social marginality" (Rokach 2002;Rokach et al 2002). However, given the characteristics of the sample that participated in our study, the items related to "social marginality" were omitted, as they address the social rejection commonly experienced by criminals, the unemployed, and the chronically ill.…”

“…Cacioppo et al (2001) and Rokach (2002) found that recreational use of drugs was significantly higher among students who feel lonely than among those who did not show such feelings. Participant sex and cultural influences are again relevant in the possible relationships between loneliness and drug consumption (Rokach 2002;Rokach et al 2002). Thus Rokach (2002) found that women invariably score higher than men in loneliness in a group of ecstasy users, another group of non-ecstasy users, and in the general population.…”

Men and loneliness in the ‘west’: A critical interpretive synthesis

“…(table 9). In studies using the Rokach causes of loneliness scale, North American and South Asian men were more likely to identify 'social marginality' a cause of loneliness than women, yet this was not the case in West Indian or Spanish populations (29)(30)(31)(32). As noted above, gay men discussed a sense of loneliness arising from not fulfilling gender norms (71,72).…”

“…Patulney and Wong (28) found that, even after controlling for people's preferences, men considered themselves to be more 'socially disconnected' than women. In the four studies using the Rokach 'causes of loneliness' scale (29)(30)(31)(32), three found men were more likely to state 'social marginality' as a cause of loneliness (30)(31)(32). Sundberg (33) found that feeling 'alone or alienated from positive persons, places, or things' was a more commonly selected survey item by men (although there was no difference in feelings of 'isolation').…”