Loneliness

1
Loneliness

• From Shaver, P., Furman, W., Buhrmester, D.
  (1985). Transition to college Network changes,
  social skills, and loneliness. In S. Duck and D.
  Perlman (Eds.), Understanding personal
  relationships (pp. 193-219). London Sage.
• And Jones, W. H., Hobbs, S. A., Hockenbury, D.
  (1982). Loneliness and social skills deficits.
  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42,
  682-689.

2
Contributing Factors

• Situation, skills, and attitudes
• Situation 75 of college freshman lonely in
  first two weeks 25 by end of school term
• Strategies
• Focus on making friends rather than romance.
• Quality over quantity.
• Try to make friends gradually with people around
  you.
• Dont have unrealistic expectations
• Retain high standards.
• Realize the impact of factors beyond your control.

3
Social Skills and Attitudes

• Chronically lonely people tend to
• Be Self-focused
• ask fewer questions,
• change topics,
• make fewer statements focusing on partner,
• respond slowly to partner
• Engage in Inappropriate Disclosure
• More intimate with same sex, less with opposite
• Often at inappropriate levels
• Have Negative Attitudes
• Low self-esteem, sensitive to rejection
• Tend to like others less (esp. men), think others
  like them less