Loneliness and Attitudes Toward Aloneness in Adolescence: A Person-Centered Approach

• Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence 2016-03, Vol.45 (3), p.547-567
• Main Authors: Maes, Marlies, Vanhalst, Janne, Spithoven, Annette W. M., Van den Noortgate, Wim, Goossens, Luc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Apathy; Attitude; Attitudes; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Child psychology; Childrearing practices; Clinical Psychology; Cluster analysis; Cognitive Ability; Developmental Tasks; Early Adolescents; Empirical Research; Evolution; Female; Health Psychology; History of Psychology; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Law and Psychology; Loneliness; Loneliness - psychology; Male; Meta Analysis; Multivariate Analysis; Negative Attitudes; Parents; Parents & parenting; Peer Group; Peer Groups; Peer relationships; Peers; Personality; Positive Attitudes; Psychological Patterns; Psychology; Psychology, Adolescent; Resistance (Psychology); School Psychology; Self Actualization; Self Concept; Self esteem; Social Support; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Well being; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0047-2891; 1573-6601
• DOI: 10.1007/s10964-015-0354-5

In adolescence, feeling lonely and dealing with time spent alone become particularly salient. The present study examined the co-occurrence of parent- and peer-related loneliness, and positive and negative attitudes toward aloneness, using cluster analysis. In three independent samples, covering about 1800 adolescents (61 % female), six meaningful groups were identified. These groups showed different associations with adolescents’ self-esteem and personality, parental responsiveness and psychological control, and peer group functioning and friendships. An adaptive pattern of correlates was found for adolescents in three of the six groups, that is, the Indifference group (with rather low scores on the four constructs), the Moderate group (with moderate scores on the four constructs), and the Negative Attitude Toward Aloneness group. A rather maladaptive pattern of correlates was found for adolescents in the three other groups, that is, the Peer-Related Loneliness group, the Positive Attitude Toward Aloneness group, and the Parent-Related Loneliness group. More specifically, adolescents in the Peer-Related Loneliness and Positive Attitude Toward Aloneness groups may need assistance regarding their relations with their peers, whereas adolescents in the Parent-Related Loneliness group may need assistance regarding their relations with their parents. Implications of these findings for current understanding and optimal measurement of adolescents’ loneliness and aloneness are discussed.