Article

A model proposal on the relationships between loneliness, insecure attachment, and inferiority feelings

June 2017
Personality and Individual Differences 111:19-24

DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2017.01.048

Authors:

Anadolu University

Introduced by Bowlby and Adler respectively, the concepts of insecure attachment and inferiority feelings are based on the hypothesis that the relationships individuals experience during the early years of their lives influence both the form and quality of relationships they establish in adulthood. This study investigated to what extent the independent variables of insecure attachment and inferiority feelings can predict loneliness, and using a hypothetical model, it was analyzed whether inferiority feelings have the role of mediator between insecure attachment and loneliness. The results showed that insecure attachment and inferiority feelings can predict loneliness significantly and that inferiority feelings have partial mediation effect between insecure attachment and loneliness.

Attachment and Social Connectedness: The Sequential Mediating Role of Inferiority and Perfectionism

Article

Nov 2023

A large body of research has been reported on the lifelong consequences of attachment, with social connectedness being one of the main related factors. It is thus crucial to determine the mediating variables in the relationship between attachment and social connectedness. To better understand the relationship between anxious and avoidant attachment styles and social connectedness among university students, this study investigated the sequential mediating roles of inferiority and perfectionism. The study involved 390 undergraduate students (257 female, 133 male) enrolled in various undergraduate programs. Data was collected through various scales including the Experiences in Close Relationships, Almost Perfect Scale, Social Connectedness, and Inferiority Scale. Structural equation modeling shows that adaptive perfectionism partially mediates the relationship between avoidant attachment and social connectedness. Additionally, inferiority functions as a mediator between anxious attachment and maladaptive perfectionism, while maladaptive perfectionism partially functions as a mediator between inferiority and social connection. The results suggest that it would be beneficial for practitioners to address inferiority and perfectionism so as to promote social connectedness among undergraduate students. Keywords: Attachment, inferiority, perfectionism, social connectedness

Examining Social Self-Efficacy as a Mediator for Insecure Attachment and Loneliness

Article

Jun 2023

Inferiority feelings and internet addiction among Turkish University students in the context of COVID-19: The mediating role of emotion dysregulation

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023
CURR PSYCHOL

Emotion dysregulation is a major predictor of increased internet addiction. However, the psychological experiences linked to increased internet addiction through higher emotion dysregulation are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate if inferiority feelings, an Adlerian construct theorized to be rooted in childhood, are associated with increased Internet addiction through emotion dysregulation. Another objective of the study was to determine if the internet use characteristics of young adults changed during the pandemic. A conceptual model was validated statistically using the PROCESS macro with a survey method involving 443 university students living in different regions of Turkey. The results support the significance of all three effects of inferiority feelings on internet addiction, namely the total (B = 0.30, CI = [0.24, 0.35]), the direct (B = 0.22, BootCI = [0.15, 0.29]), and the indirect (B = 0.08, BootCI = [0.04, 0.12]). In other words, inferiority feelings are associated with a greater level of internet addiction both directly and indirectly through greater emotion dysregulation. Moreover, the overall prevalence of Internet addiction was 45.8% among the participants and that of severe Internet addiction was 22.1%. Almost 90% of the participants reported an increase in their recreational Internet use during the pandemic, with an average daily increase of 2.58 h (SD = 1.49), the significance of which was supported by the t-test results. The results provide important insights for parents, practitioners, and researchers on addressing the internet addiction problem among young adults living in Turkey or other countries that are similar to Turkey.

Linking inferiority feelings to subjective happiness: Self-concealment and loneliness as serial mediators

Article

May 2019
PERS INDIV DIFFER

Despite recent research associating inferiority feelings with two of the social disruptors of happiness, namely self-concealment (Cimsir & Akdoğan, 2019) and loneliness (Akdoğan, 2017), neither the nature nor the mechanism of the connection between inferiority feelings and happiness have been investigated. The main objective of this study was, therefore, to test if inferiority feelings are associated with subjective happiness, while proposing a process in which inferiority feelings cause self-concealment, which in turn, causes loneliness, thereby resulting in a decrease in happiness. A serial mediation analysis was conducted via PROCESS, a computational tool for observed variable moderation, mediation and conditional process modeling (Hayes, 2012). The results confirm that self-concealment and loneliness act as serial mediators between inferiority feelings and subjective happiness, meaning that individuals with increased inferiority feelings have a higher tendency toward self-concealment. This, in turn, results in an increase in loneliness and a decrease in happiness. Additionally, a multiple regression analysis revealed that inferiority feelings, loneliness, self-concealment, age and gender significantly explain happiness at a level of 35% (R2 = 0.35, F (5, 276) =30.27, p < .001), with loneliness and inferiority feelings being the only significant predictors of subjective happiness.

Yalnızlık ve Yetersizlik Duygusu Arasındaki İlişkide Kendini Saklamanın Aracı Rolü Self-Concealment as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Inferiority Feelings and Loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2019

Bu araştırmada kendini saklamanın yetersizlik duygusu ile yalnızlık arasındaki olası aracı rolü incelenmiştir. Araştırma kapsamında Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesinde eğitim gören 147 lisans öğrencisine Yetersizlik Duygusu Ölçeği, UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği ve Kendini Saklama Ölçeği Uygulanmıştır. Aracılık analizi Hayes (2013) tarafından geliştirilen SPSS PROCESS eklentisi (Model 4) ile yapılmıştır. Bulgular kendini saklamanın yetersizlik duygusu ile yalnızlık arasında kısmi bir aracılık işlevi gördüğünü (c’=0.03; p<.001) diğer bir deyişle bireyin yetersizlik duyguları arttıkça kendini saklamaya olan eğiliminin de arttığını ve bununla bağlantılı olarak bireyin kendini yalnız hissetme ihtimalinin de yükseldiğini göstermektedir. Araştırma bulgularına dayanarak, yetersizlik duygusuna sahip bireylerin diğerlerini tehdit olarak algıladıkları için (Adler, 1985) kendileri ile ilgili bilgileri paylaşmaktan kaçınmaya eğilim gösterdikleri ve bu eğilimin de yalnızlıkla sonuçlanma olasılığının arttığı belirtilebilir. Kendini saklama ile yetersizlik duygusu arasındaki pozitif ilişkiye yönelik araştırma bulgusu (r=.22, p<.05), kendini saklamanın durumsal nedenlerin (durumun niteliği, sosyal ortam ve bilginin muhteviyatı gibi) yanı sıra daha karmaşık bir psikolojik değişken olan yetersizlik duygusuyla da ilişkili olabileceğine işaret etmesi açısından önemli görülmektedir.

Body dissatisfaction and social anxiety among adolescents: A moderated mediation model of feeling of inferiority, family cohesion and friendship quality

Preprint

Full-text available

Sep 2022

Previous research has documented that body dissatisfaction is positively related to social anxiety. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Based on ecological systems theory, this study aimed to examine the chain mediation effect of friendship quality and family cohesion in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety among adolescents and whether this mediating process was moderated by feeling of inferiority. A total of 972 students (mean age = 15.77 years, SD = 0.856) were enrolled in this study. All participants completed questionnaires regarding adolescent body dissatisfaction, feeling of inferiority, family cohesion, friendship quality and social anxiety. Our study found that body dissatisfaction was positively associated with social anxiety. Feeling of inferiority and family cohesion were found to play a chain-mediated role in the relation between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety. In addition, friendship quality plays a moderating role in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and feeling of inferiority. According to ecological systems theory, it suggested that family cohesion and friendship quality, as important elements in the microsystem of adolescents, interacted with each other, and interacted with the core parts of the ecosystem, such as body dissatisfaction and feeling of inferiority. These effects in turn have an impact on the individual's psychological characteristics-social anxiety. These findings show lights on how body dissatisfaction is associated with social anxiety in adolescents.

Genetic and Environmental Causes of Individual Differences in Borderline Personality Disorder Features and Loneliness are Partially Shared

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2020
TWIN RES HUM GENET

Loneliness is related to mental and somatic health outcomes, including borderline personality disorder. Here, we analyze the sources of variation that are responsible for the relationship between borderline personality features (including four dimensions, affective instability, identity disturbance, negative relationships, self-harm and a total score) and loneliness. Using genetically informative data from two large nonclinical samples of adult twin pairs from Australia and the Netherlands (N = 11,329), we estimate the phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations between self-reported borderline personality features and loneliness. Individual differences in borderline personality and loneliness were best explained by additive genetic factors with heritability estimates h2 = 41% for the borderline personality total score and h2 = 36% for loneliness, with the remaining variation explained by environmental influences that were not shared by twins from the same pair. Genetic and environmental factors influencing borderline personality (total score and four subscales separately) were also partial causes of loneliness. The correlation between loneliness and the borderline personality total score was rph = .51. The genetic correlation was estimated at rg = .64 and the environmental correlation at re = .40. Our study suggests common etiological factors in loneliness and borderline personality features.

EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFECTIONISM AND THE INFERIORITY FEELING AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between the characteristics of perfectionism and the inferiority feeling among university students. In the study, correlational and descriptive survey models among the quantitative research methods are applied. Participants include 672 university students (with 485 females and 187 males) whose average age is 21 years. As data collection tools, the Frost Multi-Dimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Inferiority Feeling Scale, and the Personal-Demographic Information Form are used. Data are analyzed through the Pearson Correlation Coefficient Test and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis to examine the relationship between the characteristics of perfectionism and the inferiority feeling. Results show that there is a positive and moderate-level relationship between university students' characteristics of perfectionism and inferiority feeling and that the inferiority feeling positively predicts the characteristics of perfectionism.

Peran Gaya Hubungan Interpersonal Terhadap Phubbing Dengan Distress Psikologis Sebagai Moderator

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

The mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the relationship between attachment styles and loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Background As with the increasing prevalence of loneliness among college students, it seems necessary to investigate the early grounds of its formation. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the relationship between attachment styles and loneliness through the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas (EMS). Methods This research was correlational, of structural equations modeling (SEM) type. The statistical population included all the college students of the universities of Kermanshah in the academic year 2020–2021, of whom 338 were selected using convenience sampling. The measures used in this study included DiTomasso et al.’s social and emotional loneliness of adults, Hazan and Shaver’s adult attachment, and Young’s schema scales. For data analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and SEM were used in Lisrel 8.8 and SPSS-22 software. Results The results illustrated that the hypothesized model of the study has a good fit in the studied sample. It was also found that both the avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles are related to loneliness through two EMS of disconnection-rejection and other-directedness. Conclusions Based on the findings, measures are recommended to increase information regarding the basic and underlying factors affecting loneliness for therapists and psychological specialists.

Effect of Loneliness on Attachment Styles in Young Adults during Pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2023

Loneliness can be understood as the perceived feeling of being alone. Attachment styles are the ways in which we form bonds or connections with people in social relationships. This study aims to establish the effect of loneliness on attachment styles in young adults during pandemic. A sample of 148 adults was taken between the age group of 18 to 35 years. Two psychological tools were used: UCLA's Loneliness Scale by Russell, Peplau & Ferguson (1978) and Measure of Attachment Style by Ahmad, Jahan & Imtiaz (2016). Findings show that loneliness has an effect on ambivalent insecure, secure and avoidant insecure attachment styles.

Pengaruh Loneliness terhadap Perilaku Cyberbullying pada Mahasiswa Jawa Barat

Article

Jan 2023

Technology continues to develop makes humans easier to do their activities, especially with the emergence of the internet which makes humans have other lives in cyberspace. Bullying is known rampant in Indonesia and West Java is known have a high level of bullying. However, along with the development of technology, bullying does not only occur directly but also occurs online or commonly known as cyberbullying. Loneliness known as a one of the predictors of cyberbullying, but there are other studies which state that loneliness is not correlated with cyberbullying. College student are in early adulthood phase which is known to be vulnerable to loneliness. This study aims to determine the effect of loneliness on the cyberbullying of west java college students. The method in this study uses causality method. The measuring instruments used are Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale Short Version (SELSA-S) by DiTommaso and Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey by Hinduja and Patchin. The respondents were 120 college students in west java. The study used a purposive sampling technique and the analytical technique used a multiple regression. The results showed that family loneliness subscale had a positive and significant effect on cyberbullying (p< .05; β= .358). the contribution of loneliness to cyberbullying is 17.2% (R2= .172), it means the cyberbullying variable can be explained by loneliness variable by 17.2% Keywords: College student, Cyberbullying, Loneliness Abstrak. Teknologi yang terus berkembang memudahkan manusia dalam beraktifitas, terutama dengan kemunculan internet yang membuat manusia memiliki kehidupan lain di dunia maya. Bullying diketahui marak terjadi di Indonesia dan Jawa Barat diketahui memiliki tingkat bullying yang tinggi. Namun seiring dengan perkembangan teknologi perilaku bullying ini tidak hanya terjadi secara langsung melainkan terjadi juga secara online atau yang biasa disebut dengan cyberbullying. Salah satu faktor prediktor perilaku cyberbullying ialah loneliness, namun terdapat penelitian lain yang menyatakan bahwa loneliness tidak berkorelasi dengan cyberbullying. Mahasiswa termasuk kedalam fase dewasa awal dan pada fase ini individu diketahui rentan mengalami loneliness. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh lonelinessterhadap perilaku cyberbullying pada mahasiswa di Jawa Barat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kausalitas. Alat ukur yang digunakan adalah Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale Short Version (SELSA-S) yang dikembangkan oleh DiTommaso dan Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey Instrument yang dikembangkan oleh Hinduja dan Patchin. Penelitian dilakukan kepada 120 Mahasiswa di Jawa barat dengan menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Teknik analisis data menggunakan analisis uji regresi berganda, dan didapatkan hasil family loneliness subscale berkontribusi positif dan signifikan terhadap cyberbullying (p< .05; β= .358). Kontribusi loneliness terhadap cyberbullying sebesar 17.2% (R2= .172), artinya cyberbullying dapat dijelaskan oleh variabel loneliness sebesar 17.2% Kata Kunci: Kesepian, Mahasiswa, Perundungan Siber

Depressive symptoms and attachment with mother and father in Iranian young adults: The mediating role of reflective functioning and loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022
CURR PSYCHOL

To better understand the attachment-depression link among undergraduate students in Iran, the current study examined reflective functioning (RF) and loneliness as variables explaining the relationship between attachment avoidance and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants were 423 undergraduate female students in Tehran, Iran, aged between 18 and 25 years old. Participants reported attachment anxiety and avoidance with both parents (ECR-RS), as well as reflective functioning (RFQ-17) and Loneliness (UCLA). Multiple mediation analyses revealed that reflective functioning and loneliness partially explained the relationship between avoidant and anxious attachment toward both parents and depressive symptoms. Results suggested that reflective functioning and loneliness provide two distinctive explanations of the link between insecure attachment and depressive symptoms.

Collectivistic Ambivalence: A Potential Source of Social Anxiety for Individuals with Higher Inferiority Feelings

Article

Jul 2022
INT J INTERCULT REL

Due to the elevated exposure to individualistic cultural values through the use of social media, individuals living in collectivist cultures, particularly younger generations, are becoming increasingly ambivalent towards traditional values. This means that they may experience a phenomenon called collectivistic ambivalence, which can be described as the degree of internal conflict one experiences between her/his individual preferences and collectivistic values and norms. However, there is a lack of empirically-based measure of this phenomenon and, therefore, in Study 1, we first develop and validate a 10-item Collectivistic Ambivalence Scale (CAS) on a total of 856 college students. After this, in Study 2, conducted with an additional sample of 241 college students, we confirm that there is a significant positive correlation between collectivistic ambivalence and social anxiety, with inferiority feelings fully mediating this relationship. This suggests that collectivistic ambivalence is associated with a significant increase in social anxiety, as a result of its relationship with inferiority feelings. Moreover, inferiority feelings and collectivistic ambivalence significantly explain 31% of the total variance in social anxiety

The Association Between Child Maltreatment and Loneliness Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2022
CHILD MALTREATMENT

While there is evidence that child maltreatment is positively associated with loneliness, the strength of this association is not yet clear. It is also unclear whether the magnitude and statistical significance of this association varies across groups of individuals. Therefore, this meta-analysis examines whether there are differences in loneliness between individuals with and without maltreatment histories, and which factors may influence the association between child maltreatment and loneliness. A three-level meta-analysis was conducted on 52 studies reporting 116 effect sizes ( N = 1,705,493; M age = 30.93; 49.6% females). Results showed a medium overall effect ( g = 0.45, p < .001, 95% CI [0.36, 0.53]), indicating that individuals with maltreatment histories, on average, feel lonelier than individuals without maltreatment histories. Moderator analyses showed that effect sizes were larger for emotional abuse and emotional neglect as compared to other types of child maltreatment and decreased when participants were older at the time of loneliness assessment. These findings suggest that individuals with maltreatment histories, especially those who have been emotionally abused and/or emotionally neglected, are vulnerable to experiencing loneliness across the lifespan. The results also suggest that feelings of loneliness warrant attention in prevention and intervention programs for individuals with maltreatment histories.

Attachment style and mental health during the later stages of COVID‐19 pandemic: the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2022

Background An insecure attachment style is an important risk factor for psychological problems. The aim of this study was to use Bartholomew and Horowitz’s model (Bartholomew and Horowitz in J Pers Soc Psychol 61(2): 226, 2019) to test a sample of Italian individuals to determine the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms in the relationship between attachment styles and mental health issues in the context of the pandemic. Method A cross-sectional research study was conducted using a sample of 330 Italian participants (82.1% women; mean age = 34.3 years; SD = 13.16) who completed online self-reported measures of attachment styles (RQ), loneliness (RULS), COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms (C-19ASS) and mental health problems (GHQ-12). Serial mediation analyses were performed, and bootstrap tests were included. Results Our results supported the hypothesized model with respect to each attachment style ( p < 0.001). In particular, insecure attachment styles predict mental health problems both directly and indirectly, through loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms. In addition, loneliness directly influences mental health problems and also mediates the relationship between insecure attachment styles and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms which, in turn, positively predict mental health problems. Conclusions Our findings reinforce the importance of attachment in people’s processes of adapting to experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. The study makes an important contribution to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to support people’s wellbeing in the context of the pandemic.

The Quiet Professional: On Being Alone/Together in Higher Education

Chapter

Jan 2022

This chapter explores how loneliness, alienation and solitude set their stamp on ‘quiet professionalism’ in a climate of neoliberalism. This theme is considered in the context of a higher education system that is increasingly associated with efficiency, effectiveness and ‘time-management’ rather than passion or vocation. Departing from the example of Greta Garbo, who famously declared that she wanted to be let alone, the authors explore how the notion of correspondence – with its echoes of response, responsibility and responsiveness – sheds new light on the state of being ‘alone together’ as conducive to the freedom to think. They explore attacks on subjectivity through a novel reading of the psychoanalytical notion of impingement. This is considered against the background of a form of alone/togetherness that arises in and through a quest for ethical forms of collaboration.

The Psychological Impact of Female Ex-Offenders' Life Experiences in Regard to their Criminal Motivation: A Thematic Analysis

Thesis

Full-text available

Jan 2022

Poppy Miller

Despite women showing a four percent increase in criminal participation from 2007 to 2017 (Ministry of Justice, 2018), research on female crime is insufficient, sparsely explored within UK and US (Davies, 2002). Widom et al. (1983) has suggested three motives associated with female crime; affiliation, achievement and power. Additionally, drug use (Leverentz, 2006), familial and social relationships (Davies, 2002), and variations in socio-cultural factors (Beatton et al., 2018) have been noted to be contributory factors. To investigate this further, the present research adopted a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to gain an understanding of the life experiences and motivations of four female ex-offenders, and what they believe can be done to provide support to those at risk of offending. Seven overarching themes arose as a result of the thematic analysis conducted: ‘Negative personal relationships and their implications’, ‘Financial Needs’, ‘Restricted Support’, ‘Emotional Implications’, ‘Life’s Challenges’, ‘Incomplete Education’ and ‘Privileged Background’. It was found that the participants were impacted by negative relationships involving abuse, financial problems and emotional boundaries, all of which they felt to be contributory factors to their offending.

Loneliness and Social Networks in Europe: ISSP Data from 13 European Countries

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021

The paper analyses social causes of loneliness in Europe using cross-national data from the 2017 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module "Social Networks and Social Resources" from 13 countries categorised as Northern Europe, Continental Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe. The paper aims to examine loneliness with regard to three specific groups of predictors, related to network, socio-cultural and socio-structural aspects. The results suggest that sociability patterns and personal networks are the most important predictors of loneliness. While the frequency of contacts with family members and close friends and the overall number of contacts showed significance, loneliness was primarily related to the quality of personal relationships. Considering socio-cultural factors, the obtained findings showed that social trust is consistently associated with lower levels of loneliness. Furthermore, people from Continental Europe were, in general, less lonely than North and East Europeans. Age was an important factor here as respondents from younger age groups were lonelier in Nordic countries than in the other two blocs of countries, while older respondents were lonelier in Central and East European countries. Finally, socio-structural indicators in general showed less predictive value compared to sociability patterns and socio-cultural variables. However, when it came to socioeconomic exclusion, this aspect showed a stronger connection with loneliness for the individuals from the Nordic group of countries. The findings of this paper contribute to the vibrant field of contemporary scholarship on loneliness with a fresh perspective based on comparing three large blocs of European countries and an integrated approach to various predictors of loneliness.

Impact of psychosocial stressors on emotional and behavioral problems in Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19 period: the explanatory value of loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2021

Background: Chinese adolescents experienced a variety of stressors during the COVID-19 home confinement period. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) among adolescents during the COVID-19 period. The study also examined the relationships between psychosocial stressors and adolescents' EBPs, and explored the potential explanatory value of loneliness for any associations observed. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study which included 6,587 adolescents in Taizhou, China between April 16 and May 14, 2020. Adolescents' EBPs were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), while subjective feelings of loneliness were assessed using one item from the Children's Depression Inventory. We applied structural equation modelling to assess direct and indirect associations (explained by loneliness) between psychosocial stressors (study problems, parent-child relationship, and family or friends with COVID-19) and the total difficulties and prosocial scores. Results: The prevalence of EBPs in the sample was 31.6% for total difficulties and 37.5% for prosocial problems. After adjustment for a range of covariates, the presence of study problems, poor parent-child relationship and family or friends with COVID-19 were significantly associated with a higher SDQ total difficulties score (β=6.20, 21.46, 5.21; P<0.01) and a lower prosocial score (β=-0.79, -4.35, -1.65; P<0.01). There was an explanatory effect of loneliness on these associations, which explained 27-37% of the total effect on the total difficulties score and 11-37% on the prosocial score. Conclusions: The presence of psychosocial stressors during the home confinement period was related to higher EBPs in adolescents, and the relationship was partially explained by loneliness. Targeted psychosocial interventions towards loneliness and COVID-19 related stressors may improve adolescents' psychological health.

Lived Experiences of Dropout University Students: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Introduction: Students face different challenges during their studies, among which dropping out of universities is one of the most complex of these challenges. The psychological status of students after leaving their university has received less attention in the field of educational psychology studies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the lived experiences of this group of students after leaving university. Method: In the present qualitative study, 15 students with a dropout experience were recruited throughout a purposive sampling. The experiences of participants were categorized into different groups based on the content of the interviews in thematic analysis. To gather the data, depth interviews was employed by using online video call, and the data was analyzed through a content analysis method. Results: The conventional content analysis revealed a main theme: helplessness. Accordingly, data analysis led to the formation of two categories: 1-unbelonging with three subcategories:( rejection by people in one's life, loneliness, lack of dignity among peers) and; 2-negative emotions with four subcategories: (shame and guilt, depression and sadness, inferiority feeling, hopelessness towards future). Conclusion: It seems that the students in Iran with a dropout situation face unpleasant psychological experiences. The results could clarify emotional dimensions of facing with stressful situation in academic context. One practical implication of the present study is the necessity of constructing psychological interventions for dropout student in the Iranian society in order to facilitate proper interventions to support these individuals and improve their psychological health.

Duygusal İhmal ve İstismara Uzmanların Bakış Açısı

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2020

Alev ÜSTÜNDAĞ

Çocuğa yönelik duygusal ihmal ve istismar, diğer istismar türlerinde olduğu gibi gözle görülebilen bulguları olmadığı için hemen tespit edilemeyebilir. Bu nedenle önem verilmesi gereken bir konudur. Çünkü sebep olduğu olumsuz etkiler uzun yıllar sürebilir ya da uzun yıllar sonra ortaya çıkabilir. Tüm bu sebeplerden ötürü duygusal ihmal ve istismarın uzmanlar tarafından iyi gözlemlenebilmesi gerektiği düşünüldüğü için bu araştırma kapsamında çocukla karşılaşan ya da karşılaşma ihtimali bulunan uzmanların duygusal ihmal ve istismara bakış açılarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, nicel araştırma olarak tasarlanmıştır. Nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden nedensel-karşılaştırmalı araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak duygusal ihmal, istismar ve kötü muamele ile ilgili soruların yer aldığı “Uzmanlar İçin Soru Formu” kullanılmıştır. Gelişigüzel örnekleme yönteminden yararlanılarak 780 uzman (çocuk gelişimci, doktor, psikolog, avukat, öğretmen ve asker/polis) görüşüne ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar genel olarak değerlendirildiğinde; hem soru formunda listelenen davranışların uygun olup olmadığı konusunda, hem de davranışların çocuk ihmal ve istismarı olup olmadığı konusunda uzmanlar arasında yüzdesel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık görülmemiştir. Ancak tek yönlü varyans analizi sonuçları incelendiğinde, bazı davranışlarda uzman yanıtları arasında anlamlı farklılıkların olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ortaya çıkan farklılığın hangi uzman grubundan kaynaklandığını belirlemek için Tukey testi yapılmıştır. Tukey testi sonuçları değerlendirildiğinde, çocuk gelişimcilerle diğer meslek grupları arasında olumlu anlamda farklılaşma olduğu görülmüştür. Anahtar Kelimeler: Duygusal istismar, duygusal ihmal, kötü muamele

Emotional Abuse and Adolescents’ Social Anxiety: the Roles of Self-Esteem and Loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2020
J FAM VIOLENCE

While emotional abuse has effects on social anxiety, little is known about mechanisms of this relationship, particularly in China. To address this gap, this cross-sectional study estimated mediating roles of self-esteem and loneliness in the relationship between emotional abuse and social anxiety in Chinese culture. 569 adolescents and pre-adolescents (aged between 10 and 15 years, M = 11.68, SD = 0.83; 50.62% boys) completed a series of questionnaires inquiring about emotional abuse, social anxiety, loneliness, and self-esteem. Structural equation modeling was used to examine mediating roles of self-esteem and loneliness in the relationship between emotional abuse and social anxiety. The results revealed that emotional abuse was positively associated with social anxiety and loneliness (r = .36, .29, respectively, p < .01), while it was negatively associated with self-esteem (r = − .22, p < .01). Mediational models testing indirect effects through the bootstrapping method revealed that the total effect of emotional abuse on social anxiety was positive and significant; this effect was mediated by self-esteem and loneliness. Findings suggest that loneliness and self-esteem mediates the relationship between emotional abuse and social anxiety. Decreasing loneliness and increasing self-esteem should be applied in interventions to reduce social anxiety of emotionally abused Chinese adolescents and pre-adolescents.

Attachment anxiety, loneliness, rumination and mobile phone dependence: A cross-sectional analysis of a moderated mediation model

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2021
CURR PSYCHOL

Mobile phone dependence has become a worldwide problem due to its high occurrence rate, fast growth rate, and serious undesirable consequences. Previous studies have found that attachment anxiety is a key antecedent of mobile phone dependence. However, little is known about the underlying psychological mechanisms. The present study tested the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of rumination in the link between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence. A sample of 908 Chinese university students aged 17 to 27 years old was recruited from four universities in Central China. They completed the Chinese version of Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, Mobile Phone Addiction Index, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Ruminative Response Scale. After controlling for gender and age, loneliness mediated the association between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence. Both the direct association between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence and the indirect association through loneliness were moderated by rumination. These two associations were stronger for individuals with high rumination than for those with low rumination. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Early Secure Attachment as a Protective Factor Against Later Cognitive Decline and Dementia

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2019

The etiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia is complex and incompletely understood. Interest in a developmental perspective to these pathologies is gaining momentum. An early supportive social environment seems to have important implications for social, affective and cognitive abilities across the lifespan. Attachment theory may help to explain the link between these early experiences and later outcomes. This theory considers early interactions between an infant and its caregiver to be crucial to shaping social behavior and emotion regulation strategies throughout adult life. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that such early attachment experiences can, potentially through epigenetic mechanisms, have profound neurobiological and cognitive consequences. Here we discuss how early attachment might influence the development of affective, cognitive, and neurobiological resources that could protect against cognitive decline and dementia. We argue that social relations, both early and late in life, are vital to ensuring cognitive and neurobiological health. The concepts of brain and cognitive reserve are crucial to understanding how environmental factors may impact cognitive decline. We examine the role that attachment might play in fostering brain and cognitive reserve in old age. Finally, we put forward the concept of affective reserve, to more directly frame the socio-affective consequences of early attachment as protectors against cognitive decline. We thereby aim to highlight that, in the study of aging, cognitive decline and dementia, it is crucial to consider the role of affective and social factors such as attachment.

Understanding the Contribution of Abnormal Inferiority Feelings on Insecure Attachment Through Gender and Culture: A Study of University Students Seeking Psychological Support

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2018

Early childhood attachment and suicidal ideation among young Kenyan men

Article

Feb 2018
Adv Life Course Res

The interpersonal theory of suicide posits that suicide behavior is driven by two interpersonal dynamics – perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Attachment theory posits that one’s sense of belonging may stem from social attachments during childhood. In this study, we investigate whether these two theories may be meaningfully combined to provide a life course perspective on suicide ideation among young Kenyan men (age 18–34 years). We find that respondents who recalled childhood attachments that were less safe and warm were significantly more likely to report suicide ideation, a pathway that was significantly mediated by present loneliness. Consistent with the interpersonal theory of suicide, the association between loneliness and suicide ideation was significantly mediated by less meaning in life and hope. Suicide ideation in adulthood may be prevented by promoting more secure attachments during childhood.

It is all in their mind: A review on information processing bias in lonely individuals

Article

Oct 2017
CLIN PSYCHOL REV

Loneliness is a distressing emotional state that motivates individuals to renew and maintain social contact. It has been suggested that lonely individuals suffer from a cognitive bias towards social threatening stimuli. However, current models of loneliness remain vague on how this cognitive bias is expressed in lonely individuals. The current review provides an up-to-date overview of studies examining loneliness in relation to various aspects of cognitive functioning. These studies are interpreted in light of the Social Information Processing (SIP) model. A wide range of studies indicate that lonely individuals have a negative cognitive bias in all stages of SIP. More specifically, lonely individuals have an increased attention for social threatening stimuli, hold negative and hostile intent attributions, expect rejection, evaluate themselves and others negatively, endorse less promotion- and more prevention-oriented goals, and have a low self-efficacy. This negative cognitive bias seems specific to the social context. Avenues for future research and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Childhood maltreatment and adulthood victimization: An evidence-based model

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2023
J PSYCHIATR RES

Emotional maltreatment

Chapter

Jan 2023

Developing an interpretation bias modification training task for alleviating loneliness in young people

Article

Jul 2023
BEHAV RES THER

Objective: Loneliness is common among young people and is associated with negative health outcomes. Because loneliness is associated with a bias for interpreting social situations as threatening, cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) training is a potential early intervention tool. We developed and delivered a single session of mental imagery enhanced digital CBM-I training, assessing feasibility, acceptability, and magnitude of change in interpretational style and loneliness. Method: CBM-I training materials were developed using a co-creation approach with 18-25-year-olds with experience of loneliness. Another group of 18-25-year-olds with high loneliness received either online CBM-I (n = 29) or control (n = 27) training. Results: CBM-I training uptake and retention rates were 88% and 92%, respectively. Participants found the training acceptable. The CBM-I group showed a reduction in social threat interpretations (d = 0.77), an increase in social benign interpretations (d = 0.84), and a decrease in loneliness (d = 0.56). The control group showed a small reduction in social threat interpretations (d = 0.21), no change in social benign interpretations (d = 0.04), and an increase in loneliness (d = 0.41). Conclusions: Interpretation biases relevant to youth loneliness may be modifiable, and CBM-I training could reduce feelings of loneliness. This informs psychological models of loneliness, and the development of CBM-I interventions targeting loneliness in young people.

Bucin (Budak Cinta): The Other Side of Love Addiction in Romantic Relationships in Indonesia

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023

The phenomenon of budak cinta (bucin) in the romantic relationships of Indonesian adolescents requires partners to make sacrifices. It becomes crucial because it produces some negative impacts. The researcher explores the causal factors, behavioral patterns, and impact of bucin behavior. The model of the approach chosen is indigenization from within using two types of quantitative and qualitative analysis. This study showed that 78.3% of respondents had experienced bucin. Then the level of education, duration of relationships, and influence of the social environment can be factors in the tendency of individuals to behave bucin. In addition, this study formed several themes that raised the causative factors, behavioral forms, and impact of bucin when they were in a dating relationship. These three things are arranged based on a subtheme, which provides an overview and understanding of the conditions behind bucin behavior.

A psychological examination of attachment insecurity, loneliness, and fear of missing out as drivers of retail patronage among emerging adults

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2023
Int J Consum Stud

Recent consumer literature has shown that attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious, avoidant) enhances individual's motivations for retail shopping. We extend that literature using attachment theory to explain how attachment insecurity, loneliness (i.e., social, emotional), and fear of missing out (FoMO) affect retail patronage. We posit that these three negatively valenced psychosocial conditions generally incline emerging adult consumers toward retail patronage to resolve their relational deficits. Based on results from partial least squares‐structural equation modeling (n = 509), we find support for most of our hypotheses. The study presents previously unavailable knowledge about antecedents of FoMO and multiple negative psychosocial drivers of retail patronage. We provide a foundation for future scholarship to examine more broadly how attachment, loneliness, and FoMO impact consumer behavior. Managerial and theoretical implications are also provided.

Yetersizlikten Kaçınma Çabası Ölçeğinin Türkçeye Uyarlama Çalışması

Article

Full-text available

May 2023

Bu araştırmanın amacı, Yetersizlikten Kaçınma Çabası Ölçeğinin Türkçeye uyarlama çalışmasının yapılmasıdır. Veriler uygun örnekleme metoduyla Yeditepe Üniversitesi öğrencilerinden toplanmıştır. Araştırma dört aşamada gerçekleştirilmiştir. Dil geçerliği (Çalışma I, n=77), AFA (n=221) ve DFA (n=220) aracılığıyla yapı geçerliği (Çalışma II), uygunluk geçerliği (Çalışma III, n=441) ve güvenirlik (Çalışma IV, n= 441) çalışmaları yapılmıştır. AFA ve DFA sonuçlarına göre, Türkiye örnekleminde orijinal ölçekte olduğu gibi iki faktörlü yapı desteklenmiştir. 27 madde toplam varyansın %50'sini açıklamıştır. Uyum indeksleri, iyi model uyumuna karşılık gelmiştir. Ölçeğin öz-anlayış ve sosyal karşılaştırma ile arasındaki korelasyonların anlamlı olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca güvenirlik çalışmalarının bulgularına göre, ölçeğin yüksek düzeyde güvenilir olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuç olarak, Yetersizlikten Kaçınma Çabası Ölçeğinin Türkiye’de psikologlar, psikolojik danışmanlar gibi uygulayıcılar ve araştırmacılar tarafından kullanılabilecek geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğu bulunmuştur.

Body Dissatisfaction and Social Anxiety among Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Feeling of Inferiority, Family Cohesion and Friendship Quality

Article

Mar 2023

Previous research has documented that body dissatisfaction is positively related to social anxiety. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Based on person-environment interaction theory, this study aimed to examine the chain mediation effect of feeling of inferiority and family cohesion in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety among adolescents and whether this mediating process was moderated by friendship quality. A total of 972 students (M = 15.77, SD = 0.856) were enrolled in this study. All participants completed questionnaires regarding adolescent body dissatisfaction, feeling of inferiority, family cohesion, friendship quality and social anxiety. Our study found that body dissatisfaction was positively associated with social anxiety. Feeling of inferiority and family cohesion were found to play a chain-mediated role in the relation between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety. In addition, friendship quality plays a moderating role in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety. According to the person-environment interaction theory, this study not only confirms the effect of body dissatisfaction on social anxiety in a collectivist culture, but also reveals the mechanism of the role of individual characteristics (feeling of inferiority) and external environmental factors (family cohesion) in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and social anxiety, and the moderating effect of friendship quality on the whole mechanism. These findings show lights on how body dissatisfaction is associated with social anxiety in adolescents.

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Loneliness: The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas

Preprint

Full-text available

Dec 2022

As with the increasing prevalence of loneliness among college students, it seems necessary to investigate the early grounds of its formation. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and loneliness through the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas (EMS). This was a correlational research, of structural equations modeling (SEM) type. The statistical population included all the college students of the universities of Kermanshah in the academic year 2020–2021, of whom 338 were selected using convenience sampling. The measures used in this study included DiTomasso et al’s social and emotional loneliness of adults, Hazan and Shaver’s adult attachment, and Young’s schema scales. For data analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and SEM were used in Lisrel 8.8 and SPSS-22 software. The results illustrated that the hypothesized model of the study has a good fit in the studied sample. It was also found that both the avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles are related to loneliness through two EMS of disconnection-rejection and other-directedness. Based on this, measures are recommended to increase information regarding the basic and underlying factors affecting loneliness for therapists and psychological specialists.

Attachment mediates the link between childhood maltreatment and loneliness in persistent depressive disorder

Article

Jun 2022
J AFFECT DISORDERS

Background A central concept of attachment theory is that early experiences with close attachment figures shape the way we interact with and relate to other social partners throughout life. As such, early experiences of childhood maltreatment (CM) have been suggested as a key precursor of adult insecure attachment representations. As CM has been linked to feelings of loneliness in adulthood, this study examines whether insecure attachment could explain the relationship between CM and loneliness. Also, the moderating role of a diagnosis of persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is investigated, a disorder characterized by high levels of CM and loneliness. Method 60 patients with PDD (DSM-5) and 60 gender- and age-matched non-clinical control participants (NC) completed self-report questionnaires measuring attachment, loneliness, and CM. Mediation analyses (PDD as a moderator) were performed. Results PDD patients reported higher levels of CM, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and loneliness than NC. CM was positively associated with loneliness in both groups. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between CM and loneliness was mediated by avoidant, but not anxious attachment, regardless of a diagnosis of PDD. Limitations Caution when interpreting these results is crucial as the study lacked a clinical control group, relied on self-report measures, and the cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Conclusions All constructs studied were present to a greater degree in PDD. Above, findings provide initial evidence that avoidant attachment may explain the relationship between CM and loneliness. Potentially, adult avoidant attachment may lead to and maintain feelings of loneliness, regardless of PDD.

A constructivist grounded study on children's perception of loneliness after parental divorce

Article

Jun 2022

Purpose Divorce has negative effects on children, although emotions that children experience after parental divorce are open to different interpretations. Accordingly, this study was conducted to explore loneliness in children of divorce. Design/methodology/approach A constructivist grounded theory study was carried out through the lens of definitive guidelines provided by Charmaz (2006). The participants were 15 female children aged 11–12 years, who were purposively selected. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and memos. To analyze data, the authors used four coding techniques, including initial, focused, axial, and theoretical coding. Also, to examine the links between the identified themes, the authors focused on three factors: conditions, actions/interactions, and consequences. Findings The analysis of the obtained data through the above-mentioned stages led to the identification of three main themes, including parental unavailability, rejection, and mistrust, which shaped children's experience of loneliness through lack of physical access, lack of emotional access, low levels of parental expectations, lack of supervision, absence of belongingness, being ignored, pessimistic views, and insecure relationships. Originality/value As was suggested by attachment theory, children of divorce lost their attachment bonds with their parents that intensified their perception of loneliness and negatively affected their social and academic performance. It was revealed that, effects of divorce went beyond the loss of the attachment bonds in families because our participants talked about their relationships with peers and their position in a society, where divorce carries the social stigma and children of divorced mother are marginalized.

The Connection of Attachment and Self‐Gifting for the Disconnection of Loneliness across Cultures

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022
Int J Consum Stud

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, insecure attachments and rising levels of loneliness threatened consumers’ well-being across the globe. Insecure and lonely individuals lack interpersonal support for positive and negative events resulting in the utilization of shopping as a coping mechanism. The arrival of the pandemic collided with the existing epidemic of loneliness, exacerbating loneliness and simultaneously changing shopping as it once was known. By virtue of lacking support, insecure and lonely consumers may be more motivated to engage in a particular type of shopping known as self-gifting. This research examines a conceptual model across countries with samples from collectivist and individualistic societies (n=610), revealing a universal framework to explain self-gifting motivation parallels for consumers affected by insecure attachment and emotional loneliness. Theoretical and practical implications provide cross-cultural research on the connections of attachment style and self-gifting to help the disconnections of loneliness in today’s world.

Parental Separation and Divorce and Adulthood Attachment: The Mediating Role of the Abandonment Schema

Article

Aug 2021

This study investigated whether the Abandonment schema mediates the relationship between a history of parental separation or divorce and attachment styles in adulthood. Participants (N = 426; Mage = 30.78 years) completed online measures, using Qualtrics. Results demonstrated that a history of parental separation or divorce was positively associated with anxious and avoidant attachment styles in adulthood. Mediation analyses revealed that the Abandonment schema mediated these relationships (p <.001). This suggests that adults with a history of parental divorce or separation are more likely to report anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and this is partially accounted for by an expectation that they will be abandoned by others. These findings have implications for case formulation and can be used to inform treatment. Schema therapy focused on healing the Abandonment schema could promote attachment security in individuals with a history of parental separation or divorce. For example, limited reparenting (i.e., the therapist seeking to meet the client’s unmet emotional needs, within the professional boundaries of the relationship), could be tailored to address the individual’s underlying unmet need for security and stability. Further research is needed to advance our understanding of the implications of these findings for treatment.

Konseling untuk mengurangi inferioritas pada pasien skizofrenia

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Riski januar Triharsari

Schizophrenia is a thought disorder that is not interconnected, the presence of erroneous perceptions, ﬂat affect, withdrawal from the social environment, and failed functioning of life. This study examines the effect of Adlerian counseling to reduce feelings of inferiority in Schizophrenic patients. The assessment method used in this study is interview, observation, psychological tests namely Graphics Test, SSCT, WWQ, TAT, and WAIS. The intervention was given using counseling with the Adler approach which consisted of nine sessions. The results of the intervention showed that the inferior subject could be reduced, which was indicated by no longer being ashamed to talk to women, being able to ﬁnd an understanding that he had implemented the wrong lifestyle all this time. Subjects also become more active.

The roles of latent perfectionism classes in academicians’ tendencies toward workaholism, useless superiority effort and narcissism

Article

Full-text available

May 2021
J GEN PSYCHOL

Although previous research has identified that perfectionism is associated with both narcissism and workaholism, research into the specific roles of potential perfectionism classes in these personality dynamics is currently unavailable. Furthermore, no study has investigated if the "useless superiority effort" dimension of inferiority feelings, which indicates an increased need for superiority over others potentially to overcome self-perceived inferiorities, is related to other important personality dynamics. This study was therefore conducted to identify if potential perfectionism classes that exist among academicians (N ¼ 317) can simultaneously explain significant differences in their tendencies toward workaholism, narcissism, and useless superiority effort, after controlling for potential social desirability effect. A latent class analysis of two dimensions of perfection-ism (discrepancy and high standards) revealed four distinct classes of academicians; non-perfectionists (NONPs; 20%), mal-adaptive perfectionists (MPs; 17%), normal perfectionists (NPs; 44%) and adaptive perfectionists (APs; 19%). Further analysis (MANCOVA) showed that while MPs have the highest tendencies toward workaholism and useless superiority effort, NONPs have the lowest tendencies toward these. Moreover, APs reported significantly lower useless superiority than NPs, despite scoring similarly on both narcissism and workaholism. Additionally, based on workaholism being related to narcissism, high standards and discrepancy dimensions of perfectionism, as well as useless superiority effort, while weekly work hours are not, it can be suggested that workaholism is qualitatively different from working long hours.

Ebeveyn Duygusal Erişilebilirliği, Romantik İlişki Kalitesi ve Sosyal Bağlılık ile İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişkide Yalnızlığın Aracılık Rolü

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2020

Ahmet Caglar Ozdogan

Investigation of the Relationship between Personality Traits, Perceived Competence and Loneliness Levels of Fine Arts High School Students

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2019

Ülkemizde sanat eğitimcisi adaylarını yükseköğretime hazırlayan aynı zamanda sanatçı adayları yetiştiren en önemli kurumlardan biri güzel sanatlar liseleridir. İlgi ve yetenekleri doğrultusunda sanat alanı ile ilgili eğitim verilen güzel sanatlar lisesi öğrencileri, gerek içinde bulundukları gelişim dönemi gerekse alanlarına özgü yaşantıları nedeniyle yalnızlık duygusunu daha yoğun deneyimleyen bir grup olarak ön plana çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmada güzel sanatlar lisesinde öğrenim gören ergenlerin yalnızlık düzeyleri ile kişilik özellikleri ve yeterlik algıları arasındaki ilişki incelenmektedir. Çalışma grubu, Eskişehir Atatürk Güzel Sanatlar Lisesinde öğrenim gören 133’ü kadın ve 91’i erkek olmak üzere toplam 224 öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Çalışmada veriler UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği, Ergenler İçin Yeterlik Algısı Ölçeği ve Sıfatlara Dayalı Kişilik Testi ile toplanmıştır. Veriler korelasyon ve hiyerarşik regresyon analizi ile incelenmiştir. Bulgular, kişilik özelliklerinden dışadönük ve duygusal dengesizlik ile sosyal yeterliğin yalnızlığı anlamlı bir biçimde yordadığını ve değişkenlerin birlikte yalnızlığı %39,8 düzeyinde açıkladığını göstermektedir. Bu bulgular dikkate alındığında, dışadönüklük ve sosyal yeterlik özelliklerinin geliştirilmesinin yanı sıra duygusal dengesizliğin azaltılmasının ergenlerin yalnızlık duygusunun olumsuz etkileri ile daha işlevsel biçimde baş etmesine yardımcı olabileceği ifade edilebilir.

The roles of dispositional rumination, inferiority feelings and gender in interpersonal rumination experiences of college students

Article

Jan 2019

Elif Cimsir

Given that little is known about the underlying mechanisms of rumination in response to an interpersonal offense, the purpose of this research is to reveal if inferiority feelings, dispositional rumination, and gender predict rumination regarding an interpersonal offense in a college student population. A sample of 147 undergraduate students completed the Ruminative Thought Style Scale, the Inferiority Feelings Scale and the Rumination About an Interpersonal Offense scale. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis confirm that although the majority of variation in interpersonal rumination is accounted for by dispositional rumination, inferiority feelings still explain a significant amount of variation in interpersonal rumination. Additional analysis demonstrates that dispositional rumination has a partial mediator role between inferiority feelings and interpersonal rumination, which indicates that feelings of inferiority make individuals more prone to dispositional rumination, which in turn, increases their tendency to ruminate following an interpersonal offense.

Loneliness research: A survey of empirical findings

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1984

Adolescent Loneliness and Social Skills: Agreement and Discrepancies Between Self-, Meta-, and Peer-Evaluations

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2016
J YOUTH ADOLESCENCE

Lonely adolescents report that they have poor social skills, but it is unknown whether this is due to an accurate perception of a social skills deficit, or a biased negative perception. This is an important distinction, as actual social skills deficits require different treatments than biased negative perceptions. In this study, we compared self-reported social skills evaluations with peer-reported social skills and meta-evaluations of social skills (i.e., adolescents’ perceptions of how they believe their classmates evaluate them). Based on the social skills view, we expected negative relations between loneliness and these three forms of social skills evaluations. Based on the bias view, we expected lonely adolescents to have more negative self- and meta-evaluations compared to peer-evaluations of social skills. Participants were 1342 adolescents (48.64 % male, Mage = 13.95, SD = .54). All classmates rated each other in a round-robin design to obtain peer-evaluations. Self- and meta-evaluations were obtained using self-reports. Data were analyzed using polynomial regression analyses and response surface modeling. The results indicated that, when self-, peer- and meta-evaluations were similar, a greater sense of loneliness was related to poorer social skills. Loneliness was also related to larger discrepancies between self- and peer-evaluations of loneliness, but not related to the direction of these discrepancies. Thus, for some lonely adolescents, loneliness may be related to an actual social skills deficit, whereas for others a biased negative perception of one’s own social skills or a mismatch with the environment may be related to their loneliness. This implies that different mechanisms may underlie loneliness, which has implications for interventions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0461-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Psychometric evaluation of adult attachment measures on Turkish samples and a cross-cultural comparison

Article

Full-text available

Jun 1999
TURK PSIKOL DERG

In recent years, adult attachment styles (secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing) have been widely investigated within the framework of four-category model (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991). In three consecutive studies, the reliability and validity of two commonly used measures of attachment styles were examined on the Turkish sample and a cross-cultural comparison with a U.S. sample was made. Results of the Study I revealed that both the single and multi-item measures of attachment styles (Relationships Questionnaire; Re and Relationships Scales Questionnaire; RSQ) have satisfactory level of reliability, stability and convergent validity. However these two measures did not correspond bl classifying respondents into the four attachment groups in an acceptable degree. Study 2, first, replicated the results of study I and second, demonstrated that the four attachment styles can be sufficiently identified among Turkish students. Supporting the construct validity of the attachment scales, findings indicated that the four attachment styles were organized around the two underlying dimensions of attachment (models of self and others), and they were related to the outcome variables employed in the study consistent with the assumptions of attachment, theory. The final study permitted a comparison of Turkish sample with American students from the perspective of four- category model. It was found that although the attachment scales had compatible psychometric quality in both cultures, the RSQ was relatively more consistent than the Re across the two samples. Furthermore, cultural differences in attachment styles were found especially among the insecure styles and students with preoccupied styles in the Turkish sample and those with dismissing and fearful styles in the American sample seemed to be overrepresented Findings were discussed in the light of attachment literature regarding the measurement issues and cross-cultural differences.

A New Measure for Adult Attachment Styles: The Psychometric Evaluation of Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECRR) on a Turkish sample

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2005

Psychometric assessment of adult attachment styles and cross- cultural comparison of scales on which the turkish sample

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1999
TURK PSIKOL DERG

The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1986
J PERS SOC PSYCHOL

In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminate validity evidence

Article

Full-text available

Sep 1980

The development of an adequate assessment instrument is a necessary prerequisite for social psychological research on loneliness. Two studies provide methodological refinement in the measurement of loneliness. Study 1 presents a revised version of the self-report UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale, designed to counter the possible effects of response bias in the original scale, and reports concurrent validity evidence for the revised measure. Study 2 demonstrates that although loneliness is correlated with measures of negative affect, social risk taking, and affiliative tendencies, it is nonetheless a distinct psychological experience.

Attachment, Social Competencies, Social Support, and Interpersonal Process in Psychotherapy

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2000

Brent Mallinckrodt

According to the Social Competencies in Interpersonal Process (SCIP) model, social competencies include (a) skills needed to recruit and maintain satisfying and supportive relationships, and (b) trait-like dispositions that govern use of these skills. Attachment theory explains how social competencies develop in early interactions with caregivers. Most adult clients' presenting problems can be viewed as maladaptive patterns of interpersonal interaction-patterns that the SCIP model holds are maintained by social competency deficits. Available social support is significantly determined by individual differences in social competencies. Because a productive therapy relationship requires a broad range of these competencies, a client's deficits and maladaptive patterns are soon evident. The relationship itself can then become a vehicle for change. This article summarizes my research testing aspects of the SCIP model. I conclude by presenting ideas for future research and suggestions for specific corrective attachment experiences in the therapy relationship that may facilitate client change.

Attachment Styles and Patterns of Self-Disclosure

Article

Full-text available

Aug 1991

In 3 studies, 352 undergraduate Israeli students were classified into secure, avoidant, and ambivalent attachment groups, and their differences in traitlike measures of self-disclosure willingness and flexibility and in disclosure reciprocity and liking of hypothetical or real partners were assessed. Findings indicated that both secure and ambivalent people disclosed more information to, felt better interacting with, and were more attracted to a high discloser partner than a low discloser partner. In contrast, avoidant people's self-disclosure and liking were not affected by the partner's disclosure. Secure people showed more disclosure flexibility and topical reciprocity than ambivalent and avoidant people. Findings are discussed in terms of the interaction goals of attachment groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The Prediction of Gender and Attachment Styles on Shame, Guilt, and Loneliness

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2010

The purpose of this study is to examine the predictive power of attachment styles and gender on negative social emotions such as shame, guilt, and loneliness. The sample consists of 360 (183 female, 177 male) students attending to different departments of Marmara University. The Relationships Questionnaire, Guilt-Shame Scale, and UCLA Loneliness Scale were used as instruments. Results obtained from hierarchical regression analysis showed that gender has a predictive power on shame, solely. When the predictivity of attachment styles on negative social emotions was examined, the results revealed that shame was predicted by secure and dismissing attachment style, whereas guilt was predicted by only dismissing attachment. Furthermore, all attachment styles played a determining role on loneliness.

Loneliness, Attachment, and the Perception and Use of Social Support in University Students

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2011
CAN J BEHAV SCI

This study examined factors related to family, social, and romantic loneliness in 173 undergraduate students (66 males, 107 females). Participants completed measures of attachment style, perceived availability of social support, use of social support coping, and loneliness. Results indicated that participants with greater attachment security reported lower levels of all types of loneliness compared to those with less attachment security, and this was partially mediated by perceived social support but not the use of social support coping. When examining underlying attachment constructs, a more positive model of others was related to less family and social loneliness, and these associations were mediated by greater perceived social support. Model of others also was associated with less romantic loneliness and model of self was associated with less loneliness in all domains, and these relations were partially mediated by perceived social support. Findings are discussed with respect to possible interventions to increase students' perceptions of available social support and to decrease overall loneliness levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Attachment in everyday social interaction

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2002
EUR J SOC PSYCHOL

For seven days, participants described the important interactions they had using a variant of the Rochester Interaction Record and reported their attachment style using Bartholomew's four-category system. A series of multilevel random coefficient analyses found that across all interactions securely attached participants, compared to those who were insecurely attached, found their interactions to be more intimate and more positive emotionally. Secure participants also felt that others were more responsive to them and their needs. Secure–insecure differences were most pronounced when secure and dismissive avoidant participants were compared. Differences between secure and fearful types were minimal. In contrast, differences in reactions to interactions with close and not close friends were more pronounced for fearful types than for secures, dismissing, or preoccupied types. These results highlight the importance of distinguishing fearful and dismissive avoidance. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Feelings of Loneliness among Adults with Mental Disorder

Article

Full-text available

May 2012
SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID

Purpose Loneliness can affect people at any time and for some it can be an overwhelming feeling leading to negative thoughts and feelings. The current study, based on the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in England, 2007, quantified the association of loneliness with a range of specific mental disorders and tested whether the relationship was influenced by formal and informal social participation and perceived social support. Methods Using a random probability sample design, 7,461 adults were interviewed in a cross-sectional national survey in England in 2007. Common Mental Disorders were assessed using the revised Clinical Interview Schedule; the diagnosis of psychosis was based on the administration of the Schedules of the Clinical Assessment of Neuropsychiatry, while loneliness was derived from an item in the Social Functioning Questionnaire. Results Feelings of loneliness were more prevalent in women (OR = 1.34, 95 % CI 1.20–1.50, P < 0.001) as well as in those who were single (OR = 2.24, 95 % CI 1.96–2.55, P < 0.001), widowed, divorced or separated (OR = 2.78, 95 % CI 2.38–3.23, P < 0.001), economically inactive (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI 1.11–1.44, P = 0.007), living in rented accommodation (OR = 1.73, 95 % CI 1.53–1.95, P < 0.001) or in debt (OR = 2.47, 95 % CI 2.07–1.50, P < 0.001). Loneliness was associated with all mental disorders, especially depression (OR = 10.85, 95 % CI 7.41–15.94, P < 0.001), phobia (OR = 11.66, 95 % CI 7.01–19.39, P < 0.001) and OCD (OR = 9.78, 95 % CI 5.68–16.86, P < 0.001). Inserting measures of formal and informal social participation and perceived social support into the logistic regression models did significantly reduce these odds ratios. Conclusion Increasing social support and opportunities for social interaction may be less beneficial than other strategies emphasising the importance of addressing maladaptive social cognition as an intervention for loneliness.

Testing Moderator and Mediator Effects in Counseling Psychology Research

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2004

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 51(2) of Journal of Counseling Psychology (see record 2007-16897-001). On page 134, line 8, right column, under the heading Checklist for Evaluating Mediation Analyses Using Multiple Regression, the question incorrectly asks, "Was the relation between the predictor and the outcome (Path b) greater than or equal to the relation between the predictor and the mediator (Path a)?" The correct question is "Was the relation between the mediator and the outcome (Path b) greater than or equal to the relation between the predictor and the mediator (Path a)?"] The goals of this article are to (a) describe differences between moderator and mediator effects; (b) provide nontechnical descriptions of how to examine each type of effect, including study design, analysis, and interpretation of results; (c) demonstrate how to analyze each type of effect; and (d) provide suggestions for further reading. The authors focus on the use of multiple regression because it is an accessible data-analytic technique contained in major statistical packages. When appropriate, they also note limitations of using regression to detect moderator and mediator effects and describe alternative procedures, particularly structural equation modeling. Finally, to illustrate areas of confusion in counseling psychology research, they review research testing moderation and mediation that was published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology during 2001. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)

Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2010
ANN BEHAV MED

As a social species, humans rely on a safe, secure social surround to survive and thrive. Perceptions of social isolation, or loneliness, increase vigilance for threat and heighten feelings of vulnerability while also raising the desire to reconnect. Implicit hypervigilance for social threat alters psychological processes that influence physiological functioning, diminish sleep quality, and increase morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this paper is to review the features and consequences of loneliness within a comprehensive theoretical framework that informs interventions to reduce loneliness. We review physical and mental health consequences of loneliness, mechanisms for its effects, and effectiveness of extant interventions. Features of a loneliness regulatory loop are employed to explain cognitive, behavioral, and physiological consequences of loneliness and to discuss interventions to reduce loneliness. Loneliness is not simply being alone. Interventions to reduce loneliness and its health consequences may need to take into account its attentional, confirmatory, and memorial biases as well as its social and behavioral effects.

The Relationship of Adult Attachment Theory and Affect Regulation Strategies to Depression

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2009

Manolya Calisir

According to the attachment theory which is also known as an affect regulation theory, internal working models that are constituted by the interaction between primary care giver and infant in the early period of life. These working models plays an important role how the infant gives a meaning to the world and himself/ herself and it determines the individual’s personality development and by the way the probable psychopathologies that can be observed in the future like depression. In relation with this, many of the empirical studies in the adult literature states on how internal models and cognitive representations have an influence on emotional reactions. According to various studies, reporting different attachment styles and individuals who has probably different internal models, differs in each others’ emotional reactions and how they behave according to these reactions. In view of attachment literature, individual makes a decision in terms of making affect regulation for maintaining proximity seeking and this process evokes the activation of secondary attachment strategies which are named as hyper and deactivating strategies. From the framework of this review, the relationship between major depression and adult attachment styles, affect regulation strategies is examined. Firstly, Bowlby’s attachment theory is mentioned shortly and adult attachment styles are introduced. Secondly, affect regulation strategies, which are thought to be related with major depression as a mood disorder are identified and finally, the empirical research findings relevant to the topic are represented.

Loneliness and social skill deficits

Article

Full-text available

Apr 1982

The relationship between social skill deficits and the psychological state of loneliness was examined in two studies. Study 1 compared conversational behaviors of high-lonely and low-lonely college students during brief heterosexual interactions. Results indicated that the two loneliness groups differed significantly in their use of a specific class of conversational behaviors termed partner attention, with high-lonely as compared to low-lonely subjects giving less attention to their partners. Study 2 examined the casual relationship between social skill and loneliness by directly manipulating the use of partner attention in a group of high-lonely males. For that group, increased use of partner attention during dyadic interactions resulted in significantly greater change in loneliness and related variables relative to interaction only and no-contact control groups. The utility of conceptualizing loneliness as a social skills problem is discussed.

Risk Factors of Psychosis: Identifying Vulnerable Populations Premorbidly

Article

Full-text available

Feb 1996
SCHIZOPHRENIA BULL

This article reviews premorbid indicators of psychosis that may be relevant to primary intervention. These risk markers are divided into two categories: (1) precursors related to early etiological factors (family psychiatric history, perinatal and obstetric complications, neurobehavior deficits, early parental separation, institutionalization, and poor family function) and (2) precursors signaling latent mental illness (personality measurements indicating proneness to psychosis, and teacher ratings indicating emotional lability, social anxiety, social withdrawal, passivity, poor peer relations, and disruptive and aggressive behavior). Because teacher ratings have been shown to be powerful predictors of adult mental breakdown, part of this article focuses on a specific study that assesses such ratings as predictors of psychosis in a high-risk population. Risk indicators may also provide clues about protective factors relevant for primary prevention.

An Item Response Theory Analysis of Self-Report Measures of Adult Attachment

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2000

Self-report measures of adult attachment are typically scored in ways (e.g., averaging or summing items) that can lead to erroneous inferences about important theoretical issues, such as the degree of continuity in attachment security and the differential stability of insecure attachment patterns. To determine whether existing attachment scales suffer from scaling problems, the authors conducted an item response theory (IRT) analysis of 4 commonly used self-report inventories: Experiences in Close Relationships scales (K. A. Brennan, C. L. Clark, & P. R. Shaver, 1998), Adult Attachment Scales (N. L. Collins & S. J. Read, 1990), Relationship Styles Questionnaire (D. W. Griffin & K. Bartholomew, 1994) and J. Simpson's (1990) attachment scales. Data from 1,085 individuals were analyzed using F. Samejima's (1969) graded response model. The authors' findings indicate that commonly used attachment scales can be improved in a number of important ways. Accordingly, the authors show how IRT techniques can be used to develop new attachment scales with desirable psychometric properties.

SPSS ile Bilimsel Araştırma Sürecinde Nicel Veri Analizi

Book

Jan 2013

Abdullah CAN

Attachment theory and emotions in close relationships: Exploring the attachment-related dynamics of emotional reactions to relational events

Article

Jun 2005
PERS RELATIONSHIP

Attachment theory is a powerful framework for understanding affect regulation. In this article, we examine the role played by attachment orientation in shaping emotional reactions to interpersonal transactions within close relationships. Using our recent integrative model of attachment-system activation and dynamics as a guide (M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver, 2003), we review relevant evidence, present new findings, and propose hypotheses concerning how people with different attachment styles are likely to react emotionally to relational events. Specifically, we focus on attachment-related variations in the emotional states elicited by a relationship partner's positive and negative behaviors and by signals of a partner's (relationship relevant or relationship irrelevant) distress or pleasure. In so doing, we organize existing knowledge and point the way to future research on attachment-related emotions in close relationships.

The structure of neurosis

Article

Jan 1996

A. Adler

Alleviation of loneliness: Evaluation of an Adlerian-based group therapy program

Article

Jan 1994
J Indiv Psychol

M.F. Brough

Adleryen Grupla Psikolojik Danışmanın Yetersizlik Duygusu ve Psikolojik Belirtiler Üzerindeki Etkisi

Article

Jan 2014

The theory and practice of Adlerian group counseling and psychotherapy

Article

Jan 1998
J Indiv Psychol

Manford Sonstegard

Yetiskin baglanma kurami ve duygulanim düzenleme stratejilerinin depresyonla iliskisi

Article

Jan 2009

Meral Çalışır

Understanding Human Nature (Chinese Edition)

Book

Apr 2016

The validity and reliability of UCLA Loneliness Scale

Article

Jan 1989

A. Demir

Separation: Anxiety and Loss (Attachment and Loss)

Book

Jan 1973

John Bowlby

Social Skills, Life Satisfaction, and Loneliness in Turkish University Students

Article

Mar 2013
SOC BEHAV PERSONAL

Şüheda Özben

My aim in this study was to investigate the social skills, life satisfaction, and loneliness levels of a sample of 525 Turkish university students. Participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Social Skills Inventory, and a personal information form. Independent samples t test, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were employed for data analysis. The social skills and life satisfaction levels of female students were found to be significantly higher than those of male students. Loneliness levels of male students were found to be significantly higher than those of female students; social skills and life satisfaction were negatively correlated with loneliness; and social skills were positively correlated with life satisfaction. Life satisfaction and social skills negatively predicted university students' loneliness.

Profiles of Loneliness in the Caregiving Unit

Article

May 2014
GERONTOLOGIST

Liat Ayalon

Purpose of the study: The study evaluated profiles (a typology) of loneliness within the caregiving unit, which was composed of an older care recipient with functional impairment, a family member, and a home care worker. Design and methods: Overall, 223 complete caregiving units completed the 3-item Revised-University of California San Francisco Loneliness scale. Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of loneliness within the caregiving unit. Subsequently, latent profile membership was used as a between-subject variable to examine correlates of the latent profiles. Results: A 2-profile solution was deemed most plausible. This classification consisted of a large (174 caregiving units; 78%) more favorable profile in terms of loneliness and a smaller (49 caregiving units; 22%) lonelier profile. Profile classification was associated with a variety of quality of life, well-being, social relations, and sociodemographic indicators of the 3 members of the caregiving unit. Implications: The study provides a needed recognition of the potential interdependence among members of the caregiving unit and calls for research and practice that go beyond the individual level. The assessment of loneliness at the caregiving unit can provide valuable information about at-risk units as well as about the potential effectiveness of interventions that target the entire caregiving unit.

Alfred Adler, pioneer in prevention of mental disorders

Article

Sep 1990
J Prim Prev

Heinz L Ansbacher

Alfred Adler (1870-1937) one of the four original members of what was to become the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, was the first to accept a humanistic-educational model of man in contrast to Freud's medical model of man. This was in line with his deep involvement with prevention; in fact his original interest was in medical prevention. The present paper describes how his work touched on all the points of the contemporary field of psychological prevention. He developed a personality theory most suitable for application in prevention, education and brief psychotherapy. He identified various categories of children at risk. He advocated the right to abortion partly to prevent the birth of a child severely at risk by being unwanted. He considered the then existing dominance of the male sex to be damaging to both sexes. He engaged in practical prevention work by addressing general audiences and especially teachers and by the establishment of and participation in Educational Counseling Centers. He felt that the honest psychologist for reasons of prevention is bound to social advocacy, and that a true psychology of mental health merges into a corresponding world philosophy. These points are fully documented with quotations and references.

Attachment Styles and the "Big Five" Personality Traits: Their Connections with Each Other and with Romantic Relationship Outcomes

Article

Oct 1992
Pers Soc Psychol Bull

Hazan and Shaver have identified three adult attachment styles corresponding to the infant-mother attachment patterns observed by Ainsworth and associates in the first year of life: secure, avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent. These three styles are related to a wide variety of close relationship processes and outcomes. To date, however; little research has focused on relations between attachment styles and major personality constructs. Such re-search can clarify, the nature of attachment styles and ensure that they are not simply redundant with existing constructs. The present research examined associations between attachment measures, relationship quality and outcome measures, and the 'Big Five"personality traits assessed by the NEO Personality Inventory. Attachment styles were related in theoretically predictable ways to the Big Five dimensions and especially to some of their 'facet' subscales but were not simply redundant with them. The NEO scales were generally not as powerful as the attachment style measures in predicting romantic relationship outcomes, probably because of the greater specificity of the attachment measures.

Attachment as an Organizational Framework for Research on Close Relationships

Article

Jan 1994

Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of research on close relationships and the emergence of a new relationship subdiscipline within the social sciences. To date, the new science of relationships has been dominated by data. This article is based on the conviction that progress now hinges on the development of theory to organize and interpret extant findings and to guide future investigations. Through a selective but extensive review of the major bodies of empirical literature, we attempt to show that attachment theory can incorporate a broad range of findings on adult relationships. In addition, attachment theory addresses an impressive array of research questions concerning the functions, emotional dynamics, evolutionary origins, and developmental pathways of human affectional bonds. We conclude that a comprehensive theory of close relationships is both desirable and, with the integration of existing theories and concepts, currently achievable.

Attachment styles, social skills and loneliness in young adults

Article

Jul 2003
PERS INDIV DIFFER

A total of 183 university students completed measures of attachment, social and emotional loneliness, and social skills. Results indicate that secure attachment and social skills are related on several significant dimensions. Other findings reveal that attachment security and social skills are significantly related to loneliness, representing a replication and extension of previous research (Riggio, Throckmorton, & DePaola, 1990). These results lend support to the notion that securely attached individuals are socially skilled, and that social competence is related to lower perceived levels of loneliness. Finally, regression analyses indicated that the link between secure and fearful attachment, and social loneliness was mediated, in part, by social skills. It is suggested that attachment theory may provide a useful framework for the study of social competence and adjustment.

The relationship between attachment protypes, self-esteem, loneliness and causal attributions in Chinese trainee teachers

Article

Mar 1998
PERS INDIV DIFFER

The applicability of using the four-category model (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991) in classifying Chinese adults into four adult attachment prototypes: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and fearful was explored. The impact of attachment styles on self-esteem, loneliness, and causal attribution on classroom events was also investigated. Two hundred and twenty-five student-teachers completed a self-report Attachment Style Inventory, and measures of self-esteem, loneliness, and attributional style. Results indicated that subjects with a preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful attachment were lower in self-esteem than their secure counterparts, while secure and dismissing subjects had higher self-esteem than the preoccupied group. The fearful group was the most lonely, followed by the preoccupied and then the dismissing with the secure group being the least lonely. While differences in attributional styles were found between the high self-esteem group and the low self-esteem group, the impact of attachment styles on attributional pattern was less obvious. The results suggest that the four attachment prototypes can be identified in Chinese individuals and that the quality of adult attachment has some influence on social functioning.

Avoidance of Intimacy: An Attachment Perspective

Article

May 1990
J SOC PERS RELAT

Kim Bartholomew

A basic principle of attachment theory is that early attachment relationships with caregivers provide the prototype for later social relations. Working within an attachment framework, a new 4-group model of characteristic attachment styles in adulthood is proposed. In particular, two forms of adult avoidance of intimacy are differentiated: a fearful style that is characterized by a conscious desire for social contact which is inhibited by fears of its consequences, and a dismissing style that is characterized by a defensive denial of the need or desire for greater social contact. This distinction corresponds to two differing models of the self: people who fearfully avoid intimacy view themselves as undeserving of the love and support of others, and people who dismiss intimacy possess a positive model of the self that minimizes the subjective awareness of distress or social needs. The emotional and interpersonal ramifications of the two proposed styles of adult avoidance are discussed.

Asymptotic Confidence Intervals for Indirect Effect in Structural Equation Models

Article

Jan 1982

Michael E. Sobel

Asymptotic Confidence Intervals for Indirect Effects in Structural Equation Models

Chapter

Jan 1982

M.E.(Ed.). Sobel

Reflections on the present state of loneliness research

Article

Jan 1987
J Soc Behav Pers

Robert S. Weiss

Describes the author's experience in research on loneliness and speculates about directions that the field might take in the future. It is argued that insufficient attention is being directed toward the nature of loneliness and its subcategories: loneliness stemming from emotional isolation and loneliness resulting from social isolation or the absence of community. Problems with definitions of loneliness are discussed; they do not seem sufficiently sensitive to loneliness's status as a real phenomenon. The functioning of the attachment system in children and adults also requires further study, as do the modifications that this system (which links infants to parent figures) undergoes during adolescence. The need to define attachment figures is considered, and it is suggested that they are security-providing figures with perceptual and emotional linkages to an individual. Implications for social-psychological and sociobiological/biochemical research programs are examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Existential psychotherapy

Article

Jan 1984

Existential psychotherapy arose spontaneously in the minds and works of a number of psychologists and psychiatrists in Europe in the 1940s and 1950s who were concerned with finding a way of understanding human beings that was more reliable and more basic than the then-current psychotherapies. The "existential orientation in psychiatry," wrote Ludwig Binswanger, "arose from dissatisfaction with the prevailing efforts to gain scientific understanding in psychiatry" (1956, p. 144). These existential therapists believed drives in Freudian psychology, conditioning in behaviorism, and archetypes in Jungianism all had their own significance. But where was the actual, immediate person to whom these things were happening? Are we seeing patients as they really are, or are we simply seeing a projection of our theories about them? These therapists were keenly aware that we are living in an age of transition, when almost every human being feels alienated from fellow humans, threatened by nuclear war and economic upsets, perplexed by the radical changes in marriage and almost all other mores in our culture--in short, almost everyone is beset by anxiety. Existential psychotherapy is not a specific technical approach that presents a new set of rules for therapy. It asks deep questions about the nature of the human being and the nature of anxiety, despair, grief, loneliness, isolation, and anomie. It also deals centrally with the questions of creativity and love. Out of the understanding of the meaning of these human experiences, existential psychotherapists have devised methods of therapy that do not fall into the common error of distorting human beings in the very effort of trying to help them. Topics covered in this chapter include history, personality, psychotherapy, and applications. A case example of a 50-year-old male is presented. An annotated bibliography and case readings are provided at the end of the chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

What Life Should Mean to You

Article

Jan 1958

A. Adler

Individual psychology has found that all problems of life are occupational, social, or sexual. All failures are failures because they lack fellow-feeling and social interest. All true meanings of life are defined in terms of usefulness to others. The majority of failures are among those who have suffered in childhood from organic imperfections, from being pampered, or from being neglected. None of these situations compels a mistaken style of life, but these children will need help in revising their approach to problems. In understanding their peculiarities, the analysis of the earliest childhood memory is especially useful. "What is missing from psychoanalysis is the very first requisite for a science of psychology—a recognition of the coherence of the personality and of the unity of the individual in all his expressions." This unity provides the explanation of the purpose of dream life. The dream is not a contradiction to waking life, but an attempt to solve the problems confronting the individual. The interpretation of dreams is therefore always individual. Position in the family leaves an indelible stamp upon the style of life; the greatest number of problems are among oldest children, with youngest children second. The school should provide training in cooperation rather than in competition. The intelligence quotient should not be regarded as fixing a limit to a child's achievements. It can always, except in the feeble-minded, be changed by right methods. Criminals are recruited from untrained and unskilled workers, and are of two types: persons who have never experienced fellow-feeling, and those who were pampered children. The cure lies in training for cooperation and social interest. Training in the first four or five years decides the style of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Relationships: Exploring the attachment-related dynamics of emotional reactions to relational events

Article

Jun 2005
PERS RELATIONSHIP

Lonely children and adolescents: Self perceptions, social exclusion and Hope

Book

Jan 2010

Malka Margalit

From texting and social networking sites to after-school activities, young people have many opportunities to interact with one another, and yet loneliness and isolation trouble today's youth in increasing numbers. Many children and teens report feeling lonely even in the midst of family and friends, and childhood loneliness is a prime risk factor for adult alienation. Lonely Children and Adolescents: Self-Perceptions, Social Exclusion, and Hope illuminates seldom-explored experiences of social isolation among young people as well as the frustrations of the parents and teachers who wish to help. This groundbreaking book conceptualizes loneliness not simply as the absence of social connections, but as a continuum of developmental experience, often growing out of the conflict between opposite needs: to be like one's peers yet be one's unique self. The author draws clear distinctions between loneliness and solitude and identifies genetic and environmental characteristics (i.e., social, psychological, familial, and educational) that can be reinforced to help children become more resilient and less isolated. In addition, therapeutic approaches are described that challenge loneliness by encouraging empowerment, resilience, and hope, from proven strategies to promising tech-based interventions. Highlights include: • Developmental perspectives on loneliness. • Schools and the role of teachers, from preschool to high school. • Peer relations (e.g., cliques, bullies, exclusion, and popularity). • Lonely children, lonely parents: models of coping. • Loneliness in the virtual world. • Prevention and intervention strategies at home, at school, in therapy. Asking its readers to rethink many of their assumptions about social competence and isolation, this volume is essential reading for researchers and professionals in clinical child, school, developmental, and educational psychology; allied education disciplines; social work; and social and personality psychology. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010. All rights reserved.

Cacioppo JT, Hawkley LC. Perceived social isolation and cognition. Trends Cogn Sci. 13: 447-454

Article

Sep 2009
TRENDS COGN SCI

Social species, from Drosophila melanogaster to Homo sapiens, fare poorly when isolated. Homo sapiens, an irrepressibly meaning-making species, are, in normal circumstances, dramatically affected by perceived social isolation. Research indicates that perceived social isolation (i.e. loneliness) is a risk factor for, and may contribute to, poorer overall cognitive performance, faster cognitive decline, poorer executive functioning, increased negativity and depressive cognition, heightened sensitivity to social threats, a confirmatory bias in social cognition that is self-protective and paradoxically self-defeating, heightened anthropomorphism and contagion that threatens social cohesion. These differences in attention and cognition impact on emotions, decisions, behaviors and interpersonal interactions that can contribute to the association between loneliness and cognitive decline and between loneliness and morbidity more generally.

Asymptotic and Resampling Strategies for Assessing and Comparing Indirect Effects in Multiple Mediator Models

Article

Sep 2008

Hypotheses involving mediation are common in the behavioral sciences. Mediation exists when a predictor affects a dependent variable indirectly through at least one intervening variable, or mediator. Methods to assess mediation involving multiple simultaneous mediators have received little attention in the methodological literature despite a clear need. We provide an overview of simple and multiple mediation and explore three approaches that can be used to investigate indirect processes, as well as methods for contrasting two or more mediators within a single model. We present an illustrative example, assessing and contrasting potential mediators of the relationship between the helpfulness of socialization agents and job satisfaction. We also provide SAS and SPSS macros, as well as Mplus and LISREL syntax, to facilitate the use of these methods in applications.

Holistic medicine and the function of neurosis

Article

Dec 1977
J Indiv Psychol

R Dreikurs

Attachment Styles Among Young Adults: A Test of a Four-Category Model

Article

Sep 1991

A new 4-group model of attachment styles in adulthood is proposed. Four prototypic attachment patterns are defined using combinations of a person's self-image (positive or negative) and image of others (positive or negative). In Study 1, an interview was developed to yield continuous and categorical ratings of the 4 attachment styles. Intercorrelations of the attachment ratings were consistent with the proposed model. Attachment ratings were validated by self-report measures of self-concept and interpersonal functioning. Each style was associated with a distinct profile of interpersonal problems, according to both self- and friend-reports. In Study 2, attachment styles within the family of origin and with peers were assessed independently. Results of Study 1 were replicated. The proposed model was shown to be applicable to representations of family relations; Ss' attachment styles with peers were correlated with family attachment ratings.

Violence in the family as a disorder of attachment and care-giving systems

Article

Feb 1984

John Bowlby

Loneliness: An epidemic in modern society

Article

Nov 1998

Colin Killeen

Loneliness is a little discussed concept in today's self-obsessed climate, where it is seen as a negative embarrassing condition. It is unique for every individual, and as such, it is difficult to define. There are other closely related concepts, for example, aloneness and solitude, that further complicate an already complex issue. Loneliness also has various causes and effects that can be one and the same, and so it can be confused with similar but different conditions, for example, depression and self-esteem. But, at the end of the day, if the word loneliness is mentioned in conversation, everybody will understand what it means to them, and how distressing an ordeal it can be. Everyone is lonely to some degree, no matter how much they pretend they are not: it is part of being human. Nursing literature looks at loneliness from a rather basic, superficial perspective, when discussing whether such a traumatic state of being can be solved, but this is not a solution as such. It is such an innate part of the human psyche, that it cannot be solved like a puzzle; it can only be alleviated and made less painful. This can only be achieved by increasing humankind's awareness of this distressing condition that everyone has to endure in some way, shape or form, some time during their lives, about which there is nothing to be embarrassed. If non-lonely individuals could spare a smile or a word for people who might be perceived as being lonely, even if in doing so they selfishly think 'there but for the grace of God go I', such a small gesture might just make their day a little less of an ordeal.

A model proposal on the relationships between loneliness, insecure attachment, and inferiority feelings

Abstract

No full-text available

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