Loneliness and causal attributions in university students

Abstract

This study examined (a) the factor structure of causal attributions for loneliness and (b) the relationship between loneliness and causal attributions. Five scales were administered toundergraduate students (N=575). The scales were two versions of UCLA Loneliness Scale (short-term loneliness and long-term loneliness), two kinds of scales of causal attributions for loneliness (checklist of the causes of loneliness and Russell (1982) 's Causal Dimension Scale), and Self-Esteem Scale. Two versions of UCLA Loneliness Scale were completed by different criteria (“for the past two weeks”versus“for the past one year”).The results are as follows.1) Loneliness scores were higher in males than in females.2) The factor analysis of the checklist of the causes of loneliness producedeight factors in males, while eleven factors in females. The factor analyses of the Causal Dimension Scaleidentified three factors, labeled locus of causality, stability, and controllability.3) According to the results of multiple regression analyses and discriminantanalyses, loneliness for males were precipitated by internal and stable attributions, while forfemales, only stable attributions were predictive of loneliness. Furthermore, the relationship attributions which cannot be classified by Weiner (1986) 's model, were associated with loneliness.