Loneliness, self-characterization and acquaintance in student groups

Abstract

Of 637 students in Psychology I who responded to a loneliness survey. 30 volunteered. 4–5 months later. to take pan in a small-groups study of acquaintance. Subjects were unaware of the connection between these two exercises. They were asked to write and video-record character-sketches of themselves. Through these recordings. subjects were evaluated for desirability of acquaintanceship by members of other groups. Evidence in the literature supports the hypothesis that the lonely evaluate themselves and others negatively but that others, in general, do not view the lonely unfavourably. Results showed the contrary: (a) loneliness was significantly correlated (r(28) = −.39.p < .05) with being less attractive as an anot correlate with the evaluations they gave of others. Material from the character-sketches suggests ess of raters did why students were less interested in making the acquaintance of lonely individuals.