Social and Emotional Loneliness

One hundred forty college students provided data on social and emotional loneliness, social provisions, social support appraisals, features of socializing and emotional support networks, and personal characteristics thought to inhibit social interaction or the development of relationships. Limited evidence was obtained for the view that social and emotional loneliness are distinct experiences with different social and personal antecedents. Both social and emotional loneliness were inversely associated with provisions of social relationships, with appraisals of support, and with both quantitative features (size, frequency) and qualitative features (closeness, reciprocity, complexity) of social support networks. Social and emotional loneliness also were associated inversely with personal characteristics, particularly discomfort in social situations, self-esteem, and a negative orientation toward support networks.