Two Measures of Loneliness: A Comparison

Researchers have long neglected the topic of loneliness. One reason has been the lack of adequate measures. Recently, however, several scales have been developed which seem promising. The present research compares two such scales, the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Belcher Extended Loneliness Scale. 151 male and 107 female undergraduates filled out both scales in a random order. The analyses showed that both scales are highly internally consistent. Also, both scales produce scores which are significantly correlated with self-reported loneliness. The inclusion of the sociological concepts of alienation and anomie in the Belcher scale, however, do not greatly increase its validity over the UCLA scale. In comparison with the multidimensional Belcher, the unidimensional UCLA scale specifically identified loneliness due to a lack of social interaction. More research on loneliness is recommended using valid and reliable scales such as these.