The Loneliness Experience of College Students

Abstract

The present study examined sex differences among college students in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of loneliness. Measurements of loneliness, emotional reactivity, and social risk taking were administered to 112 undergraduates. Males evidenced greater self-reported loneliness than females. Generally, affective and social risk-taking measures were more highly related to loneliness among males than females. The results suggest that loneliness is more likely to be associated with negative personal and affective self-evaluations for males than for females. Males may react to loneliness more negatively than females because of a tendency to attribute loneliness to personal failure rather than external, uncontrollable causes. Evidence also suggests that having difficulty in initiating social risks may contribute to loneliness for males more than females.

The Role of Gender, Attachment Dimensions, and Family Environment on Loneliness Among Turkish University Students

“…These findings of the study are consistent with several other studies (Chen & Chung, 2007;Brage et al, 1994;Demir, 1990;Girgin, 2009;Norman & DeWayne, 1986;Wiseman & Guttfreund, 1995). On the other hand, in their studies, Terrell et al (2000) and Woodward and Frank (1988) reported that females are lonelier.…”

The Acceptance of Lonely Others: Effects of Loneliness and Gender of the Target Person and Loneliness of the Perceiver

“…We were able to find more detailed information on the participants' self-perceptions using Marsh and O'Neill's (1 984) well-established multidimensional self-concept measure. Consistent with prior research, our results showed that lonely people had lower or more negative self-perceptions than nonlonely people (Goswick & Hojat, 1982;Inderbitzen-Pisaruk, Clark, & Solano, 1992;Jones et al, , 1983Kamath & Kanekar, 1993;Lamm & Stephan, 1987;Schultz & Moore, 1986). In comparison, lonely people were found to rate themselves lower in physical appearance, emotional stability, same gender and opposite gender relations, relations with parents, and general self-concept.…”

Social Connectedness, Social Appraisal, and Perceived Stress in College Women and Men

“…This interpretation accounts for the unexpected relationship between negative social appraisal and lower perceived stress. However, by maintaining a more independent self-construal, men may also view a lack of connectedness more strongly as a social stigma and specifically as a personal failure (Schultz & Moore, 1986), hence the stronger negative relationship between social connectedness and perceived stress.…”